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Florida Preschool Development Grant B-5

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS ....................................................................................................... 1 PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT ................................................................................... 2 EXPECTED OUTCOMES .................................................................................................... 3 B-5 MIXED DELIVERY SYSTEM AND VISION ............................................................. 4 ACTIVITY ONE: B-5 NEEDS ASSESSMENT ................................................................. 13 ACTIVITY TWO: B-5 STATEWIDE STRATEGIC PLAN ............................................ 20 ACTIVITY THREE: MAXIMIZING PARENTAL CHOICE AND KNOWLEDGE .. 25 ACTIVITY FOUR: SHARING BEST PRACTICES ........................................................ 32 ACTIVITY FIVE: IMPROVING OVERALL QUALITY ............................................... 37 ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY AND MANAGEMENT ............................................ 40 PLAN FOR OVERSIGHT OF FEDERAL AWARD FUNDS ......................................... 45 SUSTAINABILITY PLAN .................................................................................................. 46 DISSEMINATION PLAN .................................................................................................... 47 EVALUATION PLAN.......................................................................................................... 48 LOGIC MODEL ................................................................................................................... 54 PROJECT BUDGET AND BUDGET JUSTIFICATION ................................................ 56 PROJECT TIMELINE AND MILESTONES PROGRAM PERFORMANCE ............. 59


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PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT

● Project Title: Florida Early Childhood Care and Education Mixed Delivery Systems Building: Preschool Development Grant Birth - Five

● Applicant Name: FL’s Office of Early Learning (OEL) ● Address: 250 Marriott Drive, Tallahassee, FL 32399 ● Contact Phone Numbers (Voice, Fax): (850) 717-8598 ● E-Mail Address: [email protected] ● Web Site Address, if applicable: www.FloridaEarlyLearning.com

Through the PDG B-5 grant, Florida will move towards increasing the quality, alignment and efficiency of Florida’s early childhood care and education programs and services to support families’ needs, children’s readiness and early grade success, particularly vulnerable and underserved children.

Needs to address: (1) Families do not have equitable access to quality early childhood care

and education programs statewide; (2) Families have difficulty navigating multiple social services, being informed consumers, and fully engaging as partners with early childhood care and education programs in children’s development; (3) There is significant local variance in the percentage of children served and subsidy rates. Limited funding, unmet need, and local delivery create widely different local priorities and, therefore, widely different levels of quality for families; (4) With increased accountability and use of program assessment statewide, there is inconsistent access to effective quality supports for providers; and (5) Transitions into kindergarten are uneven, and collaboration between the early childhood care and education system and local school systems is inconsistent.

Proposed services. Florida’s PDG B-5 proposes the following: • To build on our statewide needs assessment portal to enable better assessment needs,

access, and quality for informed data-driven policy solutions; • Create comprehensive statewide early childhood care and education mixed delivery

system strategic plan; • To streamline policies and enrollment processes, improve access and availability of high

quality early childhood care and education programs and services for families, increase family engagement, and provide high quality consumer education for families across funding streams, programs, and services; and

• To increase access to effective early childhood care and education quality improvement strategies by developing standards for and expanded access to professional development, coaching and related supports that improve kindergarten readiness and early grade success.

Population groups to be served. Florida’s children B – 5, particularly children who are

vulnerable or underserved.

http://www.floridaearlylearning.com/


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EXPECTED OUTCOMES

Improve Data-Driven System Coordination: to be responsive to the needs of children,

families, early childhood care and education providers, and community and state family service

partners, Florida will build on the existing needs assessment data portal and Index to Child Care

Access and to align data systems and develop enhanced tools that will provide interactive, vital

information on capacity, affordability, quality, and financing for early childhood care and

education to inform data-driven decision-making. Florida will also conduct a feasibility study for

creating a single point of entry to streamline requirements for families and will identify and

implement policies to simplify requirements for social services.

Increase Family Access and Engagement: to better serve all families with high quality

early childhood care and education programs and services, particularly vulnerable and

underserved populations. The crosscutting concept throughout all priorities is to focus on

families in their current situation. The goal is to create a system that encourages culturally

sensitive, trauma-responsive family engagement and care. Florida will build out online resources

that will increase consumer education on early childhood care and education programs,

privatized access to child screening and assessment data that will provide important information

on children’s development, and other resources that support increased family engagement.

Create a High-quality Comprehensive System of Early Childhood Care and Education:

to balance the diverse mixed-delivery system with maximizing resources and leveraging funding,

Florida will increase education and credentialing for early childhood care and education

professionals and align and increase availability of current best practices statewide. This will

include cross system, cross discipline opportunities for shared professional development,

communities of practice, and supports for existing networks to strengthen quality, particularly for


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vulnerable children. Florida will place specialized emphasis on family engagement, supporting

the needs of unique learning populations, including dual language learners and children with

disabilities, and increasing school readiness for all children. Development of a comprehensive

strategic plan will result in streamlined policies, budgets, and alignment of systems, creating

efficiencies to maximize funding and resources and improve opportunities.

B-5 MIXED DELIVERY SYSTEM AND VISION

Florida (FL) offers a diverse B-5 mixed-delivery early childhood care and education (ECE)

system with a full range of programs, including private non- and for-profit centers, family child

care homes, public and private school-based programs, Head Start/Early Head Start (HS/EHS),

Migrant Head Start/Migrant Early Head Start (MHS/MEHS) and home visiting programs (HV).

The Office of Early Learning’s (OEL) data system identifies 10,245 ECE providers serving

353,823 unduplicated publicly funded children in these programs. OEL administers a budget of

$1.09 billion in federal and state funding and is lead entity on the following ECE investments:

• School Readiness (SR) – child care subsidy program, Child Care Resource and

Referral (CCR&R) network, and the Child Care Executive Partnership (CCEP) Program,

with combined state/federal funding of $690.9 million to serve 140,887 children B-5.

• Voluntary Prekindergarten Program (VPK) – VPK program available to all four-year-olds at

no cost; funded at $398.4 million to serve 170,527 four-year-olds (76%).

• Quality Investments – Included in SR funding outlined above, OEL invests $98.1 million in

ECE quality activities to impact the overall system, including: 1) consumer education ($11

million) through CCR&R to help 444,563 families annually assess eligibility and find

programs that meet their needs; 2) standards, curriculum, health and safety, and development

screening and assessment ($5.4 million); 3) provider training/technical assistance and


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financial support ($32.3 million); 4) tiered reimbursements and Gold Seal differentials ($38.7

million); 5) infant and toddler care quality ($7.5 million); and 6) inclusion ($3.2 million).

FL’s ECE system is unique in that it is largely privatized. Ninety-three percent of children B-

5 participating in SR attend centers (130,910 children), 7% attend family child care (9,175

children), <1% of children attend private school programs (247 children), and <1% of children

attend public school-based programs (555 children); 78% of children participating in VPK attend

private centers (132,474 children), 21% of children attend public-school-based programs (35,508

children), 1% attend private school-based programs (1,973 children), and <1% attend family

child care (572 children). To support coordination for all ECE programs, the FL Head Start State

Collaboration Office (HSSCO) is housed in OEL. HS enrolls 31,877 children through 60

grantees and delegates and 7,375 children attend EHS through 55 grantees and delegates; 1,187

children attend MHS programs, and 1,992 children attend MEHS programs; total HS funding is

$366,644,876. The total licensed HS capacity in FL is 31,369 slots in centers and 508 in locally

designed programs. The total licensed EHS capacity in FL is 5,777 slots in centers, 503 in family

child care homes, 798 in HV programs, and 231 women served in prenatal programs.

Other key elements of FL’s programming include:

• Screening: FL is the only state that requires screening of every child receiving subsidies upon

enrollment and annually thereafter; children with developmental concerns are referred for

additional assessment through local Department of Health Part C (Part C) or Department of

Education Part B (Part B) programs.

• Assessment: Many Early Learning Coalitions (ELCs) support observation-based assessments

to help inform individualized care and instruction. The legislatively created Committee for


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Early Grade Success developed recommendations in 2017 on how to create a unified system

of child assessment for all children in publicly funded programs birth-kindergarten entry.

• Unique Child Identifier (UI): Through the FL Department of Education (DOE), each child is

assigned a UI at the time of kindergarten entry. OEL and DOE have recently created the

ability for younger children to be assigned this UI. Children enrolled in VPK are assigned a

UI; this process will be in place for SR beginning in 2019. With strict privacy protocols in

place to safeguard data, this will allow OEL to better understand an unduplicated count

among children receiving public services, children with underserved needs, children’s

movement among ECE programs and into secondary education settings, and factors that

impact children’s early learning participation, such as expulsion, inclusion limitations, and

limited dual language learning environments.

FL has developed coordination structures to implement a more integrated B-5 system:

• Infant/Toddler, Preschool, Inclusion Networks: OEL coordinates networks designed to

support ELC staff who manage local initiatives or work to directly support providers serving

young children. Additionally, these networks act in an advisory role for statewide initiatives

involving their respective work. The networks promote community connections between

providers and services tailored to specific needs and provide a system of care for children in

the SR and VPK programs. Each network consists of one specialist per coalition plus

members from other agencies that serve the identified population of children. Partners

include Part C, Part B, Higher Education, Healthy Families, and Department of Children and

Families (DCF), among others.

• Family Engagement: Our partnerships have made family engagement a crosscutting priority,

aligned with the HHS/DOE Policy Statement on Family Engagement. This priority is


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addressed in the context of all initiatives supporting inclusive care, social-emotional and

behavioral health, equity, and cultural/linguistic sensitivity. Additionally, OEL

developed/implemented training, guidance, and policies to further promote and enhance

family engagement (e.g., Best Practices in Inclusive Early Childhood Education (BPIECE)

tools and training, equity training, and trauma informed care initiatives). The Legislature also

recognized the importance of family engagement and incorporated requirements for family

access to child assessment and screening data in recent legislation. Culturally and

linguistically responsive family engagement is a primary focus in FL’s efforts to develop

coaching models and director networks that support families served in ECE programs.

• Professional Development: The ECE Professional Development Initiative (PDI) has

developed broad partnerships to create a robust professional development (PD) system in FL.

FL widely implements the Teacher Education And Compensation Helps Program

(T.E.A.C.H.) through the Children’s Forum (CF) and a network of higher education

institutions throughout the state. Florida has developed an innovative public-private

partnership with foundations and state government to implement a statewide PD delivery

system, Early Learning Florida (page 32).

• Transition to Kindergarten Workgroup: OEL, DOE, HSSCO, CF, ELCs, private providers,

HS grantees, and local school districts identify opportunities and barriers to smooth

transitions between ECE providers and kindergarten. The workgroup is developing an ECE

collaborative framework, tools, and resources to help support families in working with school

leaders, Kindergarten teachers, and ECE providers on transition plans. An action plan has

been developed and best practices have been shared via regional summits and a website.


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• Trauma Informed Care Workgroup: OEL coordinates a workgroup designed to identify

opportunities for improving access to mental health services and trauma-informed care in

ECE. This workgroup is developing a specific trauma plan for supporting young children and

their families who may have been or are experiencing adverse childhood experiences.

Currently, this workgroup is focused on expanding access to mental health consultation.

• Meeting Needs of Specific Vulnerable Populations: OEL has designed a process to identify

educators with specialized training that support vulnerable populations. Prioritized

populations include children with special needs, children experiencing trauma, and dual-

language learners. Through this effort, OEL will support specialized training of the ECE

workforce, while creating a method of robust consumer education to encourage informed

parental choice for the state’s most vulnerable families.

FL also offers a wide range of HV programs and services, including: Home Instruction for

Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY), Nurse Family Partnerships, Healthy Families, and

Healthy Start. The HV programs have formed a strong network through Maternal Infant Early

Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) to coordinate service delivery through a newly developed

uniform intake process that supports strategic and targeted services for FL’s most vulnerable

children. Collectively, HV programs serve 15,580 families annually.

In a state as large and diverse as FL, localized administration of services designed to meet the

unique needs of culturally and linguistically diverse communities is essential. FL has 30 ELCs

plus the Redlands Christian Migrant Association (RCMA), which provide local administration of

the SR, VPK and CCR&R programs; contract for services with ECE programs; support local

quality improvement systems; and leverage financial resources to expand services. ELCs and

RCMA report $37,301,504 in match statewide.


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FL is the only state with laws allowing Children’s Services Councils (CSC), special taxing

districts to fund children’s services. These CSCs generate $200 million annually for early

learning, summer and after school programs. CSC funds primarily support advancements in

quality, targeted affordability strategies and access to services, typically in partnership with the

ELCs. Private philanthropy also plays an important role, with foundations like the Helios

Education Foundation, Jim Moran Foundation, and United Way making multi-million dollar

investments in statewide innovations, like the Early Learning Florida PD platform (page 32);

many other local foundations invest in their communities.

Collaboration and engaging diverse voices is essential to the FL system. Families and

caregivers are a vital part of the ECE work in FL. ELCs engage families and caregivers through

CCR&R, community outreach, and technical assistance (TA). Community-based organizations

also sit on ELC, CSC, and other entities’ boards, such as local Grade Level Reading Campaign

advisory groups to coordinate services and maximize resources. A number of ELCs coordinate

with local HV programs, two administer EHS/Child Care Partnerships, and many lead efforts to

coordinate local ECE systems and services that meet the needs of culturally and linguistically

diverse families. Representatives from these entities will be a key part of strategic planning to

ensure appropriate work is planned and implemented at the state, regional and local levels to

strengthen FL’s B-5 mixed delivery system.

FL has made great strides toward developing a high quality system of ECE, with recent

significant advances in: 1) technology solutions that enable family enrollment, ECE provider

requirements and payments, and program documentation to be completed online; 2)

implementation of the Early Learning Performance Funding Project (ELPFP), a five year project

that aligns quality standards with differential payments and targeted PD and coaching; 3)


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transformational legislation, HB 1091, an accountability bill, which identifies observation-based

child assessment tools for use by SR providers; adopts a program assessment for SR providers

that measures quality of teacher-child interactions; develops differential payments for program

assessment and child assessment; modifies the statewide information system to allow families to

access data on child growth, program impact, quality, and investment; adds new reporting

requirements for this data; and expands contracted slots; 4) TA coordinated with state and

community partners, subject matter experts, and resources through formal networks and

committees that work collectively and focus on vulnerable populations; 5) a PD career pathway

that includes options supported by T.E.A.C.H. scholarships and a partnership with the University

of FL (UF) on Early Learning Florida (page 32); and 6) the nation’s largest ECE coaching

certification with documented impact on program quality.

Even with these monumental successes, the system has challenges, including:

• Challenge: Families lack equitable access to quality ECE programs. PDG Strategies: Build

out the Early Care and Education Needs Assessment data portal (ECENA) (page 38) to have

a regularly updated, comprehensive view of service uptake and child well-being indicators to

better assess needs and understand access through the Index of Child Care Accessibility

(Index) (page 15); determine how to align payment rates with quality expectations (page 19);

and target quality improvement (QI) efforts in areas of need (page 33).

• Challenge: Families have difficulty navigating multiple social services, being informed

consumers, and fully engaging as partners with ECE programs in children’s development.

PDG Strategies: Design a single point of entry for families (page 30); identify opportunities

to streamline eligibility requirements, application, redetermination, and consumer education

(page 26); improve enhanced referrals via CCR&R and other community resource specialists


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to provide more specialized services (page 27); make more complete information accessible

online for families (page 31).

• Challenge: Since the inception of SR in 1999, there has been significant local variance in the

percentage of children served and subsidy rates. With only good intentions, limited funding,

unmet need, and local delivery, there are widely differing local priorities and therefore

widely differing quality for families. PDG Strategies: Complete detailed analysis of payment

rate structure; develop recommendations on how to align payment rates to actual cost of

quality (page 19).

• Challenge: With increased accountability and use of program assessment statewide, there is

inconsistent access to efficient and effective quality supports for providers. PDG Strategies:

Conduct detailed analysis of ELPFP data to determine what QI strategies have greatest

impact (page 33); share best practices and build capacity on targeted topics, such as child

assessment to inform individualized care and instruction and PD (page 32); implement

strategic QI activities (page 33); expand supports to VPK, HS, EHS, and other state and

community partners (page 34).

• Challenge: Transitions into kindergarten are uneven and collaboration between the ECE

system and local school systems is inconsistent. PDG Strategies: Expand access to resources

to support seamless transitions (page 35); with full sensitivity to data privacy, encourage

parents to share child observational data with kindergarten teachers to better meet individual

needs (page 28); create online learning communities between ECE and school district leaders

to align local implementation of expectations and align VPK and readiness standards so

expectations progress in a seamless way (page 35).


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Our vision is to increase the quality, coordination, alignment and efficiency of the state’s

programs and services to support families’ needs and children’s readiness and early grade

success, particularly vulnerable and underserved children. Our essential next steps to achieve this

vision are: 1) build out the statewide needs assessment portal with stronger and expanded data

sharing agreements to better assess needs, access, and quality and use this data to inform data-

driven policy solutions; 2) streamline policies and enrollment to improve access and expand

parental choice across funding streams, programs, and services; and 3) increase access to

effective ECE quality improvement strategies through standards for and expanded access to

effective PD, coaching and related supports.

At the state level, the overall PDG grant will be coordinated by OEL, in close partnership

with DCF, HSSCO, and UF (page 41). OEL will work with the Children and Youth Cabinet

(CYC), the State Advisory Council (SAC), and representatives from private providers, school

based-programs, ELCs, Parts B and C, HV, and other family support services, to coordinate a

comprehensive mixed delivery system that meets the needs of children and families.

To assess and support the local needs of families and improve the quality of early learning

systems, ELCs, CSCs, and OEL’s TA networks will facilitate family and ECE stakeholder focus

groups to inform system enhancements; help implement family engagement and QI strategies;

and leverage resources to improve kindergarten readiness and well-being for children at greatest

risk of school failure.

OEL will facilitate data analysis, evaluation, and system expansion by partnering with UF to

enhance data capabilities for the needs assessment and Index (page 15); support the development

of FL’s strategic plan to coordinate the input of all system stakeholders; assess QI strategies to


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develop standards of practice for statewide PD and coaching; support the evaluation of system

enhancements; and grow the state’s PD system.

Third Party Agreements. Letters of commitment (Appendix) from key stakeholders and

partners include DCF, DOE, DOH, UF, CSCs, HSSCO, Florida Head Start Association, and the

Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA). Collaborating with these entities and others

will allow OEL to leverage existing programs, resources, and infrastructure to achieve the above

vision and complete grant activities efficiently, maximizing resources and opportunities.

ACTIVITY ONE: B-5 NEEDS ASSESSMENT

Over the last five years, FL has built significant capacity to assess needs through a

centralized, interactive data portal. Our vision is that through the PDG we will 1) significantly

increase the amount and type of data available in our online, interactive ECENA; 2) document

unduplicated number of children served by different programs throughout the state; and 3)

expand automated and interactive reporting capacity within ECENA so local, regional and state

leaders can actively assess needs and plan services and supports, informed by cross-sector data,

on an ongoing basis beyond the PDG grant period.

Through federal SAC funding in 2013, OEL worked with UF to develop ECENA. It was

specifically decided not to do a traditional needs assessment that would expire as soon as it was

published, but to create a data portal that is regularly updated through cross-sector data updates

from each of the state agencies that collect data on young children and their families. ECENA

also provides innovative data tools to assess needs and inform local, regional, and state level

decision-making. This centralized repository of indicators associated with early development

(page 14) can be compared across multiple levels of geography including statewide, ELC,

county, and zip code. Users can generate color-themed maps, trend plots, and tabular data using


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various combinations of age groups and indicators. The reports, maps, and tabular data can be

downloaded quickly and directly from UF-secured websites and displayed on mobile devices.

Since it was created, ECENA has been accessed thousands of times and is widely used to inform

planning, fund development, and program implementation.

Current ECENA Data Indicators (Each ECENA indicator is reported by Age Cohort (0-2, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 0-5) and for each ELC, County, zip code, and statewide.) Pregnancy

Total number live births Born by C-section Born premature Born to adolescent mother Born with low birth weight Pregnancy interval <18 months Multiple births High risk pregnancy Prenatal care quality Mother WIC participation during pregnancy Mother smoking during pregnancy Mother overweight or obese at pregnancy Born to unmarried mother

Family Characteristics

Mother race/ ethnicity Mother not born in US Father not on birth certificate Homeless Parent with daytime work Household primary language Rural residence Urban residence In foster care Parent employment/ labor force status % children in poverty

School Not proficient in Mother age at birth Achievement English language arts

Not proficient in math % High school dropouts

Health and Special Needs

Emergency room visits Medicaid Enrollment Maltreatment Child deaths Immunizations not up to date Children with IFSP Children with IEP

ECE Services, Education and Health Spending

Licensed child care capacity Early Head Start funded enrollment Head Start funded enrollment Children by education spending Children by health care spending

Neighborhood Characteristics

Children in high crime index neighborhoods Population growth rate Unemployment rate in neighborhood High poverty


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The Anita Zucker Center at UF (Zucker Center) has strengthened ECENA by developing an

Index. Using SR data, the research team at the Zucker Center identified two aspects of access

(selection and infrastructure) that must be understood to inform decision-making to improve

access. The Index reports whether families have reasonable opportunity to enroll in quality child

care and the extent to which they make use of available resources. Geographic information

showing density clusters of family residence help identify areas in need of targeted investment to

increase access to quality ECE. A pilot conducted in 2017-18 with five ELCs confirmed the

Index helps inform understanding of accessibility and helped target quality initiatives to areas

with limited access. The Index is being expanded statewide and will be enhanced through the

PDG to include other ECE program data including VPK, HS, EHS, MHS, and MEHS.

Populations of children who are vulnerable or underserved, and children in rural areas.

OEL has access to a highly accurate, unduplicated count of children served by each program

through its data system; this is available through the single statewide information system utilized

for the SR and VPK programs. There are 140,887 children B-5 served through the SR program

and 170,527 four-year-olds served by VPK.

In FL, the term “vulnerable” is defined as any child experiencing factors that place them at

risk of school failure, including children in foster care/protective services (10,932 children);

special needs requiring early intervention services (211,759 children); family income at or below

150% FPL (272,658 children); observed domestic violence (19,245 children); and homeless or

transition of housing (6,665 children). “Underserved” is defined as children who are eligible for

services but cannot access them do to lack of slots or funding availability; the numbers of

underserved children awaiting services include SR (31,000), HS (7,363), EHS (4,840), MHS

(137), and MEHS (373). “Rural community” is defined as a county with a population of 75,000


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or fewer or a county with a population of 125,000 or fewer that is contiguous to a county with a

population of 75,000 or fewer. An estimated 64,000 children live in rural communities in FL.

Due to the complexities of overlapping needs and the fact that many families are eligible for

and receive services from multiple agencies, it has historically been difficult to identify an

accurate count of unique children/families engaged in public systems. However, FL has made

significant strides to better understand children’s B-5 experiences into secondary school.

Within the capacity of existing data systems, FL can identify underserved populations within

each program (e.g. SR, HS, EHS, MHS, and MEHS) but lacks the capacity to construct a unified

dataset for unduplicated accounting of families across services. The PDG has prompted these

agencies to commit to establishing interagency agreements to share child level data necessary to

construct a unified data system (page 38), which will enable refined assessment of need among

FL’s children and families who are vulnerable or underserved. This will set the foundation for

work outlined in the proposal to better understand the needs of vulnerable and underserved

populations and create more efficient, effective, responsive services to meet their needs.

Analysis of quality and availability. DCF defines basic health and safety for all programs

deemed “child care.” OEL defines standards for programs participating in SR and VPK. ECE

providers accredited by one of 15 approved bodies are identified as Gold Seal and eligible to

receive up to a 20% SR differential.

In 2013, UF conducted a detailed study on the availability of child care. Within FL’s large

and diverse landscape, capacity varies by community, but overall: 1) there is an overabundance

of slots in most communities; 2) too many slots means programs cannot maintain sufficient

enrollment, which limits revenue to improve services and quality; and 3) the overabundance of

supply causes providers to reduce private pay rates to attract families, which has depressed


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overall child care market rates. To improve access to quality, FL needs to invest in strategies that

stabilize ECE revenue without overburdening families, particularly in high need areas.

This data increased the urgency to create a unified definition of quality, strengthen baseline

requirements to provide SR services, and incentivize quality. FL took a dramatic step in this

direction with new legislation (HB 1091) signed by Governor Scott in March 2018, which

provides: 1) a statewide definition of quality based on program assessment scores, with basic

threshold scores required to provide SR (subsidized) care; 2) alignment of a payment differential

to incentivize and pay for higher levels of quality; and 3) the ability for ELCs to set local

eligibility priorities to serve the children most needing care. In the 2018-19 program year, SR

programs will be assessed with the Classroom Assessment Scoring System® (CLASS), providing

an unprecedented snapshot of the quality of 7,668 SR programs (70% of early learning sites

serving children ages birth-5).

Plan for strengthening measurable indicators of progress. As outlined in our logic model

(page 55) and evaluation plan (page 49), FL will build on its significant infrastructure to

accomplish two targeted outcomes through its needs assessment.

• Expand capacity to regularly assess needs comprehensively through ECENA: With PDG

investment, the ongoing ability will be created to document ECE capacity and quality within

communities throughout the state; expand our understanding of access and underserved

communities and populations; and develop a system to provide an unduplicated count of

children accessing publicly funded programs on an ongoing basis. OEL will facilitate

permissions between organizations and UF to integrate and analyze each entity’s data. In

preparation for the PDG award, commitments to expand data agreements have been


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established with DCF, DOE, DOH, AHCA, HS, EHS, and CSCs. The data that will come

from each organization is outlined in detail in the Third Party Agreements (Appendix).

• Solicit extensive stakeholder engagement: FL will obtain the critical perspective of key

stakeholders, families, and providers on their needs, successes, challenges, and hopes for

ECE services and supports. These perspectives will be obtained through surveys conducted

of providers and families accessing services, focus groups of providers and families in ten

communities, interviews with families during intake and while in waiting rooms, and other

strategies. In total, perspectives will be gathered from over 2,500 stakeholders representing

different income, geographic and child age strata to help inform the needs assessment.

Month Detailed Summary of Activity 1 Projects 1-2 ECENA: Data provided by agencies and organizations for integration 3 ECENA: UF conduct accuracy and quality checks and merge data across systems 3 ECENA: UF complete data integration by geographic designation (e.g. zip code) 2 Stakeholder Engagement: OEL identify key questions that need to be answered

through survey(s) and focus groups 2 Stakeholder Engagement: UF design surveys and focus group protocols

3-4 Stakeholder Engagement: UF complete focus groups throughout state of families and providers on specific topics of interest to the SAC and stakeholders

3-4 Stakeholder Engagement: UF complete statewide survey of providers and stakeholders to inform strategic plan

2-5 Cost Modeling: UF conduct assessment by county on payment rates, capacity vs actual enrollment, and the impact of these factors on improving quality

5 Cost Modeling: UF complete analysis to model scenarios by program, zip code, participation in other programs, changes in credentialed staff, and cost of materials

5 ECENA Analysis: UF complete extensive analysis of need, particularly for vulnerable children and families, to inform SAC and strategic plan development

5 5 6

ECENA Analysis: Complete specific analysis to inform key questions (see below for methodology) • Access and quality of supply • Measure of ECE system performance • Unduplicated count of children by program, geographic area, and age

5 ECENA Analysis: UF identify funding opportunities/barriers, opportunities for efficiencies, and models to align payment rates/bonuses with increased expectations

5 Needs Assessment Report: UF summarize findings in draft report to stakeholder group, SAC; integrate feedback

6 Needs Assessment Report: UF complete report that synthesizes ECENA analyses, focus group and survey results; OEL submit to ACF-OCC for approval


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The ECENA analyses will include mapping to show concentrations of need/services:

• To facilitate a more comprehensive understanding of the access and supply of quality, a SR

provider infrastructure matrix will be constructed that analyzes service type, proportion of

intended population served, and family vulnerability status.

• To facilitate the development of a consistent measure of ECE system performance, a study

will be conducted on the process to incorporate additional program data into the Index for

additional ECE programs (i.e., VPK, HS, EHS, MHS, and MEHS).

• Bonus Points: Using an individual child data linking protocol that makes use of unique child

identifier data, UF will generate an unduplicated count of children within programs (i.e.,

SR, VPK, EHS, HS, MHS, and MEHS) who are currently receiving or awaiting ECE

services.

In 2015, OEL and its partners worked with a cost modeling tool to analyze publicly funded

provider reimbursement rates against the true cost of care. The analysis showed the need for

increased SR investments to improve and maintain quality; this work informed the recent

legislation to define quality and develop differential payment tiers aligned to quality standards.

An updated cost modeling analysis, in combination with a county by county assessment of

capacity, enrollment, and payment rates, will support important strategic planning focusing on a

number of critical aspects of quality and accessibility: 1) developing new funding structures in

areas with extremely low payment rates; 2) identifying issues with child care deserts and market

oversaturation to identify strategies for increasing access to quality; 3) analyzing workforce

compensation data to identify opportunities to establish compensation initiatives in areas where

low wages are drastically affecting workforce sustainability; and 4) analyzing market rates to

determine where targeted incentive programs could increase access to quality.


20

Collectively, the expanded needs assessment and these analyses will help FL document need,

availability, and quality of ECE programs and services. The analyses will be used to inform

development of the strategic plan and include strategies to better assess gaps in services for

families’ needs; identify opportunities to coordinate and align services that support improved

economic security for families and outcomes for children at greatest risk of school failure;

support the development of improved continuity of services; enhance collaboration among key

partners that provide programs and services to children and families; identify and streamline any

potential duplication of services; and identify areas that may need additional resources.

ACTIVITY TWO: B-5 STATEWIDE STRATEGIC PLAN

Engagement of full range of stakeholders. A Core B-5 Strategic Plan Team (Core Team)

will guide the development of the strategic plan. Members will include OEL, DCF, HSSCO, UF,

a data expert, systems experts, and a facilitator/consultant. These entities collaborate extensively

and are ready to immediately begin the B-5 Strategic Plan process. This Core Team will provide

leadership for convening and administering a SAC that will represent all stakeholders impacted

by the plan. The Core Team will plan to meet face-to-face for a full day each month. Diverse

stakeholders will be engaged by assembling ten focus groups throughout state, holding monthly

webinars, and conducting surveys of key stakeholder groups.

UF will facilitate the development of a unified strategic plan and Collaborative Labs will

help the Core Team maximize time through structured planning meetings. The Core Team will

develop a framework that encompasses all the partners in FL’s mixed delivery B-5 system and

ensures all partners see their role in the work and the commitments required to improve

coordination, align policy, improve program quality, increase participation of children in high

quality programs, strengthen service delivery, and facilitate smooth transitions. A memorandum


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of understanding (MOU) between partners will outline responsibilities for identifying decision

points, providing data and information, and making progress in a timely manner.

New requirements; barriers to collaboration. FL will incorporate new federal and state

requirements into the PDG, to include CCDF requirements, and requirements from the recently

passed HB 1091 (page 17). Further, FL will integrate recent experience to inform critical

infrastructure elements, to include: OEL and DCF partnerships to implement new federal

regulations and statewide PD Registry (Registry); extensive child screening data collection

resulting in child referrals and workforce supports; ELPFP experience successfully supporting

expansion of program assessment, child assessment, and PD, resulting in improved child

outcomes; significant work toward a PD system, to include development of career pathways,

articulation, and significant investments in T.E.A.C.H. scholarships; Association of ELCs

(AELC) coordination to align local QRIS efforts with the ELPFP; Early Learning Florida

providing high quality online training and education that improves program quality, teacher

skills, and child outcomes; development and implementation of the nation’s largest early

childhood coaching certification; Committee on Early Grade Success that outlined detailed

recommendations to build a coordinated child assessment system from birth through

kindergarten entry; Equity Task Force of over 50 members from OEL, ELCs, other partners

collaborating to identify existing disparities in the ECE system and create targeted plans; CSCs’

financial and resource supports and partnerships, including many innovative models to improve

quality, expand access, and support culturally and linguistically diverse families; a statewide

program with over two dozen local Grade Level Reading Campaigns that are coordinating

diverse partnerships to support language and literacy, invest in the early years, reduce

absenteeism, and address summer learning loss; and partnerships with the full range of provider


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associations (i.e., representing public, private, faith-based, and family child care) in planning and

implementation efforts.

Barriers to collaboration in FL stem from design and structure of programs, rather than

stakeholder desire for collaboration and coordination. Identified barriers include the lack of a

coordinated waiting list and access to services across the mixed delivery system that includes

public and private B-5 center-based programs, VPK, HS, EHS, and family child care; program

assessment data that is unique to each funding stream and cannot be shared, contributing to

duplication of services; child assessment data that is unique to each funding stream but cannot be

shared among programs and is not easily accessible to families; a PD system that does not have a

coordinated, standards-based, pathway-linked and articulated, and financially supported PD

across state agencies, local providers, private trainers, and higher education; service delivery for

families that is not coordinated or aligned; and disjointed and discreetly funded QI efforts that do

not have standard or consistent implementation expectations. These will be systematically

explored and recommendations developed through the PDG strategic planning process.

Building from existing plans. The Core Team will actively engage the Infant/Toddler,

Preschool and Inclusion Networks (page 6); PDI (page 7); and Transition to Kindergarten

Workgroup (page 7) through regular meetings. These initiatives each have existing plans and

extensive expertise that will be synthesized into the unified, cross sector plan. Further, the Core

Team will review and integrate relevant recommendations from the Equity Task Force, Early

Childhood Comprehensive Systems (ECCS), and Early Childhood Personnel Center (ECPC)

advisory councils. Together, these plans reflect significant work and stakeholder engagement,

and will contribute considerably to the strategic plan.


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Additionally, OEL has identified gaps in collecting child assessment data and using it for

intentional strategic planning. As part of the strategic plan process, the Core Team will create a

plan for child assessment implementation and the consolidation of child outcome data for

historical data trends and creating strategic priorities for the upcoming years.

Use of indicator data. The B-5 Strategic Plan will identify and adopt statewide ECE

priorities and indicators that will assess plan progress over time. Indicators will focus on

improved access and quality of ECE services for families with young children and that highlight

coordination efforts, collaborative partnerships, and collective impact. Indicators will require

valid, reliable, and accessible data, and strategic planning may need to address building data

capabilities to meet identified priorities. Once identified and developed, an indicator report will

be released annually, with state and local level data, to inform decision-making and investments.

Use of SAC. OEL will reconfigure and relaunch the SAC. Individuals representing

membership defined in the Head Start Act have already been convened to plan and develop the

CCDF Plan, and the group will be expanded to include: OEL; DCF Offices of Child Care

Regulation, Child Welfare, and Mental Health; Part B; Part C; HSSCO; AHCA (Medicaid and

Children’s Health Insurance Program); American Academy of Pediatrics affiliates; FL

Association for Infant Mental Health (FAIMH), FL Association of Healthy Start Coalitions,

Healthy Families FL, CSCs, Department of Juvenile Justice, Head Start Association; Department

of Economic Opportunity TANF/Workforce; Higher Education; AELC; Early Learning

Advisory Council (ELAC); parent and provider representatives with lived experience in the

programs; provider associations; local education agencies (LEA); and HV. The SAC will plan to

meet every other month during the development of the strategic plan and quarterly thereafter.


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Members of the SAC will be selected in coordination with the Core Team and approved by

the Governor’s Office. The SAC will be responsive to the CYC in terms of coordination of

efforts and reporting at CYC meetings. Efforts will be made to maximize member participation

in all meetings of the SAC, including use of technology for meetings.

Month Detailed Summary of Activity 2 Projects 1-6 Core Team: monthly, ongoing review results of needs assessment, identify areas

where more needs assessment data is needed to inform strategic plan 1-6 SAC: bimonthly meetings to keep fully apprised of work done and development of

the plan and engagement of stakeholders through bimonthly updates 1 Plan Development: UF gather existing strategic plans and synthesize key

recommendations into a draft document 2-4 Plan Development: UF engage stakeholders bimonthly to identify gaps that need to

be filled, develop strategies 4 Plan Development: Identify statewide indicators that will be used to assess plan

progress over time 5 Plan Development: Core Team/UF share draft three year plan broadly with SAC,

including quarterly benchmarks developed by Core Team 6 Final Strategic Plan: Submittal to ACF-OCC

Partnership Opportunities. The B-5 Strategic Plan will bring partners to the table to solve

problems and challenges. OEL is implementing new federal regulations through a strong

partnership with DCF. PDG work will also benefit from FL’s statutorily defined local

governance structure that actively engages local, regional, and state leaders through the ELCs

and ELAC to inform overall ECE system design and implementation. The strong partnerships

that exist between the local ELC leaders, coalition board chairs and OEL will inform how

statewide systems are strengthened to promote collaboration and coordination, streamline

administration, maximize parental choice, raise quality, and provide for local flexibility to meet

the needs of communities, especially those serving culturally and linguistically diverse families.

Systemic improvements for focus during the strategic planning process include:

• Implementation of unified waiting list and single point of entry across mixed delivery

system.


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• Development of an ‘opportunities and barriers’ matrix outlining rule and regulation

requirements associated with each partner entity, identifying barriers to collaboration, and

highlighting opportunities for blended funding, service delivery, and transition.

• Improved data-sharing and use of data-informed decision-making across state partnerships.

• Creation of a task force to develop articulation agreements with higher education to improve

the ECE PD system and create provider designations, such as inclusion, dual language

learners, and trauma-informed care.

• Adoption of coaching/mentoring certifications and processes across partners.

• Adoption of transition to kindergarten policies and procedures, with data-sharing agreements.

• Adoption of transition and service delivery agreements across early intervention, HV, and

ECE programs.

• Identification of shared and coordinated funding opportunities to support rate and wage

improvements, PD, and family income transitions that move them slightly over service

income requirements.

• Creation of Specialized Care Teams to support children and families as they navigate through

early intervention services.

ACTIVITY THREE: MAXIMIZING PARENTAL CHOICE AND KNOWLEDGE

FL offers multiple strategies and connection points for families to maximize parental choice:

1) CCR&R specialists in each ELC serving families in all 67 counties; 2) Help Me Grow

Network (HMG), an integrated system implemented in 27 counties to support early identification

of developmental and/or behavioral concerns and link children and families to services and

supports; and 3) an OEL Parent Portal available and searchable in more than 90 languages and


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dialects providing online access to information on CCR&R, SR, and VPK; and 4) a strong

Inclusion Network (page 6)

FL has a strong base of collaboration and coordination across the full range of ECE

programs and services. OEL has extensive stakeholder engagement networks (page 6). FL’s

CYC was created through legislation in 2007 to support interdepartmental collaboration and

integrated services. The CYC includes agency heads, legislative, judicial and cabinet

representatives, and community-based advocates that focus on infant/toddler development,

kindergarten readiness, and children in poverty. The CYC has workgroups to improve service

coordination, including: 1) early learning system improvements; 2) technological data

matching/integration; and 3) multi-system services.

The SAC will work with the CYC to expand membership of the multi-system services

workgroup. The workgroup will identify opportunities for increased collaboration, data sharing,

and barriers/challenges families’ experience, including those for families that receive multiple

social services or transition between services. The workgroup will review current application

and eligibility requirements to develop closer alignment of eligibility criteria and a standardized

application, and inform the plan for single point of entry (page 30). This work will include

family focus groups (page 30) with broad representation of demographics, culture, and family

characteristics to identify, validate, and develop solutions to system challenges.

Collaboration with IDEA. FL has a strong Inclusion Network to support children with

special needs that provides TA and support to providers, practitioners, and families through

Inclusion Specialists in ELCs, Part C and Part B partners, and a statewide Inclusion Coordinator.

The Inclusion Coordinator facilitates regular communication across partners on best practices,

challenges, and needs of children, practitioners, and families. Each ELC also has a “Warm-Line”


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to provide information for families and providers on developmental screenings, consultation,

child care, and other referrals for children with developmental concerns and special needs.

OEL is working with leadership of Part C and Part B on a comprehensive inventory of all

current PD offerings to streamline, align and coordinate PD for professionals working with

children with disabilities. This will be used by OEL, DOE, DOH and the SAC to develop a cross

system, cross discipline catalog of offerings that strengthens the knowledge of professionals

working with families and young children with disabilities. Families that have children with

special needs often struggle to find ECE programs with the expertise to meet their child’s needs.

FL will increase capacity for inclusive programs by developing program designations

(infant/toddler and preschool) focused on supporting children with special needs that will be

documented in the Registry and articulated to transferable credentials and degrees.

Collaboration among key partners to enhance existing strategies and maximize parental

choice. FL’s local governance structure includes 30 ELCs that administer SR child care subsidy

and quality investments, VPK, and CCR&R services to all 67 counties. The ELCs work closely

together to collaborate and coordinate services (page 46). These services include CCR&R, which

support families and ECE providers across the full range of the B-5 system, including HS and

other programs, with approximately 450,000 referrals provided annually. In 2012, FL became a

HMG affiliate to strengthen connections between children and families and community-based

developmental and behavioral services. To date approximately 11,000 families have been served.

Building on existing infrastructure, we will enhance referral services to more effectively

connect families with ECE and community resources, with a focus on supporting culturally and

linguistically diverse and disadvantaged families. The state director for CCR&R is in OEL and

will work with UF to create highly engaging PD for referral staff. This will be built from best


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practices nationally and best practices in FL within CCR&R, HMG, HS, and other relevant

models. The PD content will be available across systems and disciplines to develop consistent,

rigorous and responsive enhanced referrals across all sources. Through the CCR&R state

network, OEL will also develop a community of practice (CoP) working with ELCs, HMG, HS,

and others to facilitate community-based staff working face-to-face to plan and implement an

integrated approach.

Empowering parents and programs to facilitate smooth transitions for children.

Families and programs benefit from information about children’s growth and development to

inform how to best meet their needs. OEL will increase access to information about child

development by upgrading the Parent Portal to provide families with online access to their

child’s screening (completed within 45 days of enrollment and annually thereafter) and

observational assessment results. This access will enable parents to have a better understanding

of children’s developmental milestones and learning gains, empower parents to support and

extend children’s learning, and strengthen their knowledge of how best to advocate for their

child’s learning needs as they transition to kindergarten or through ECE programs. Families will

be encouraged to download and share with programs the results about their child’s learning

styles, strengths, and areas for growth as they transition. Providers will also be encouraged to ask

parents if they have these results and will provide TA on using them to initiate conversations

between the director, teacher and family, which will support more seamless transitions and build

relationships between families and ECE professionals. Programs needing support for

implementation will have access to online coursework and coaching supports specifically

focused on sharing assessment results and strengthening family engagement (page 30).


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There is also significant work related to transitions to kindergarten in place (page 7) and

more work planned. OEL, in partnership with other DOE divisions, CF, LEAs and HS created a

Transition to Kindergarten Workgroup comprised of ECE stakeholders to identify transition best

practices, needs, and barriers. Activities included developing a dedicated website with transition

resources for providers and families and piloting regional summits. Through regional summits,

OEL will continue gathering best practices that support successful transitions to kindergarten and

will expand the website (page 35) to provide additional resources for families, LEAs, and ECE

providers.

Parent education initiatives targeting particular populations of parents. FL has a strong

network of parent education initiatives through HV programs such as Healthy Families, Healthy

Start, Nurse Family Partnership, MIECHV and HIPPY that target vulnerable populations and

include core aspects of parenting and increasing child development knowledge. CCR&R and

HMG provide families with information on these programs and other community resources that

support parent education. As part of this effort, OEL is partnering with ELCs through CCR&R

and other community partners to encourage families to access resources like Vroom that provide

timely updates on children’s developmental milestones in an easy to use format. Additionally,

OEL will conduct a broad outreach campaign with providers and families to infuse Vroom and

other best practices on family engagement throughout the state.

To expand opportunities for parent education, OEL will develop a series of 50 short video

vignettes on child development information and inspiration for families. The vignettes will be

designed to be less than 60 seconds and will be made available on the Parent Portal, on

community websites, and shared broadly with partners, particularly those that work with

vulnerable children and families (e.g., homeless coalitions, child welfare). The vignettes will be


30

filmed in multiple languages, will be culturally sensitive and responsive, and will include father

engagement, supporting the needs of dual language learners, and how to promote optimal child

development. Coursework will also be developed for educators that targets specific strategies for

specialized populations and on building meaningful family engagement.

Plan to ensure parents are provided timely information in a responsive and culturally

sensitive manner for children B-5 in mixed delivery system. FL will conduct a feasibility

study and develop a plan for creating a single point of entry that would allow families to make

more informed choices about the array of social services and what will best meet their child and

family’s needs. The vision is for the single point of entry to efficiently determine eligibility for

multiple early learning programs (e.g., SR, HS/EHS, VPK) and social services (e.g., Medicaid,

CHIP, Title V, Healthy Start, CACFP, WIC, others) in multiple languages. The feasibility study

and plan will be informed by the needs assessment, including input from families; analysis of

local efforts; the expertise of CYC’s technology workgroup, which is creating common

definitions and shared application protocols to improve data sharing and streamline processes for

families; and the CYC/SAC joint multi-system services workgroup focused on streamlining

services and eliminating barriers and challenges for families.

Information about the quality of early learning programs in FL is difficult to find and not

user-friendly for families. We will create user-friendly tools and resources for families to

provide relevant, timely, accurate information in a culturally and linguistically responsive

manner. With consultant support, OEL will convene focus groups with families and enhance

online provider profiles and consumer education based on this feedback. Additional information

may include data on health and safety, program assessment, accreditation, staff credentials,

program designations, and other relevant items to inform parental choice. OEL will use feedback


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from focus groups to help inform design of a mobile app to provide parents and families easier

access to program information. The Parent Portal will be enhanced to include development of a

common family needs assessment to identify areas of need for individual families and create

more efficient service delivery. The results of the family needs assessment will be analyzed and

used to identify gaps in family services for local communities. This will support sustained

partnerships with local agencies to better assist families and provide an integrated approach for

service delivery. OEL will develop unified branding materials and other appropriately translated

resources for ELCs and CCR&Rs to integrate communication and messaging with families.

Month Detailed Summary of Activity 3 4-7 Single Point of Entry – Multi-systems workgroup; Consultants with expertise in

technology development will create scope of work flow, implementation requirements, technology capabilities, and path to integrate existing systems to create a single point of entry

7-9 Single Point of Entry - Consultants will share wire frames and examples of the potential single point of entry with family focus groups to ensure the system is culturally sensitive, will meet their needs

9-12 Single Point of Entry - Consultants will finalize plan for single point of entry, including identifying potential funds for build

1-6 OEL/DCF expand Registry functionality; joint PD catalog; provider designations 4-11 Enhanced Referral Services: OEL/UF create CCR&R PD modules and CoP 1-12 OEL expand Parent Portal based on family feedback to include: common family

needs assessment tool; access to their child’s screening, observational assessment results; Program Profiles to include new designations to inform parental choice

7-9 Consumer Education: OEL convene family focus groups to: provide feedback on how to most effectively provide culturally and linguistically competent consumer education; review current resources; provide feedback on digital tools

10-12 Consumer Education: OEL develop unified branding materials/ resources for ELCs and CCR&Rs; integrate communication/messaging with families; design mobile app

7-12 Family Engagement: OEL make Vroom materials available statewide 7-12 Family Engagement: UF develop 50 video vignettes for families 7-12 Family Engagement: UF create provider courses on family engagement 7-12 Access: OEL conduct Statewide Capacity Building on equitable access As a crosscutting concept through PDG, OEL will work to build capacity in equity practices

through statewide training of stakeholders and partners, to guide understanding of how to best

meet the unmet needs of underserved populations, and to ensure equitable access to quality ECE.


32

ACTIVITY FOUR: SHARING BEST PRACTICES

FL has significant networks focused on improving coordination and sharing best practices

among local systems and B-5 providers and professionals (page 6). These networks will be

strategically leveraged to strengthen the ECE system, and capacity to share best practices among

ECE stakeholders will be expanded through strengthening infrastructure and innovations.

Statewide system and services coordination and sharing of best practices. OEL and its

numerous partners (e.g., DCF, Part B, HSSCO, Part C, AELC, UF, CF) provide technical

assistance (TA) and share best practices among ELCs, providers, families, and organizations in a

variety of ways, including: online supports and resources (e.g., CCR&R family resources,

partner resources, PD Registry); toll-free access to family support (e.g., Inclusion Warm-Line,

CCR&R); shared data drives for rules/policies; webinars on priorities (e.g., CLASS, child

assessment, standards training); regional and state meetings to support coordination and

improved practices (e.g., AELC meetings/conference, OEL/ELC/ELAC meetings, provider

conferences); resource development and distribution (e.g., family guides, BPIECE); regional

facilitators to conduct trainings and provide TA to community partners.

FL has statewide committees that focus on system development and service coordination

(e.g., equity, transition, PD) and has formal Infant/Toddler, Preschool, and Inclusion Networks

(page 6) that provide strong mechanisms for coordination.

Sharing best practices among ECE programs and professionals. Through years of

working closely with partners, FL has a registry, career pathway, wage and scholarship supports,

and articulation improvements. OEL and UF have also built a robust, competency based, job

embedded PD system through a $33M public-private partnership. Early Learning Florida

provides over 600 hours of innovative, blended content and has served over 30,000 teachers who


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have completed over 400,000 hours of content in the last three years. A rigorous evaluation by

Yale has shown teachers who complete the courses have better program quality, adult-child

interactions, and child outcomes. As part of every instructor-led course, ECE professionals

across the mixed-delivery B-5 system participate in facilitated conversations, share

implementation experiences, and provide opportunities for reflection and feedback to peers.

As part of the Early Learning Florida platform, UF will assemble a curated, searchable

resource library of thousands of best practices (e.g., lesson plans, pictures of high quality,

inclusive, learning environments, family engagement tools, developmentally appropriate

activities) so professionals from all B-5 settings can find resources that contribute to high quality

ECE. UF is building the capacity within the Early Learning Florida platform to offer online

learning communities and create groups that can be open (e.g., all coaches in FL, infant/toddler

teachers serving children with special needs) or by invitation only (e.g., preschool teachers

participating in a local project) to further facilitate online sharing of best practices.

Plan to share best practices. The ELPFP evaluation has documented the impact of QI

strategies. However, the project included differing options of PD, coaching, and supports to

improve quality. To determine the type and dosage of supports that have the greatest impact

program quality, teacher-child interactions and child outcomes, UF will complete a cumulative

evaluation of ELPFP to inform where to invest to have the greatest impact on quality, reduce

duplication and leverage financial and other resources for B-5 services. This will be used by the

SAC to inform ongoing funding/policy recommendations.

Previous ELPFP evaluations identified four ELCs that invested in capacity building in child

observation-based assessments so effectively that assessments are taking place reliably at scale

across hundreds of providers. OEL has identified specific best practices of the four early


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adopters (e.g., provider training, peer mentoring, and buying touch screen devices). Through

PDG, OEL will build this capacity by expanding best practices of the early adopters statewide.

ELCs will have the opportunity to submit a plan for funding to support provider training and/or a

one-time funding for tablets or compatible technology for practitioners to support child

assessment.

Further, we will build upon the successes of the ELPFP by creating a cohesive framework

and array of tools for sharing best practices for B-5 services that include consultant-led regional

best practice summits with consistent discussion frames and collection of best practices for

continued use and development. This will build from the existing network of hundreds of trained

CoP facilitators across FL. The CoP facilitators will be trained to use the new Early Learning

Florida online learning communities and other tools to create a vibrant online ecosystem among

leaders at the local and regional level (page 35).

Additionally, OEL will convene a task force to improve best practices across PD

opportunities for B-5 in FL’s mixed delivery system by 1) improving coordination across

existing PD opportunities; 2) aligning PD with Early Learning Standards 3) identifying and

implementing new designations (e.g., inclusion, dual language learners, and trauma informed

care); 4) addressing articulation agreements; and 5) aligning credentials with wage supports.

Using the feedback of this task force, OEL will make targeted improvements in our PD

system to enable quality improvement best practices to be shared among professionals. This will

include developing and adopting shared standards around coaching that will be used to inform

future investments, build capacity, and expand access to best practices in coaching tools so

practitioners benefit from more effective coaching. Feedback will also be used to implement

online CoPs for specific roles (directors, administrators, coaches, teachers working with specific


35

populations) to connect with each other, facilitated locally by certified CoP facilitators in ELCs

and other organizations. Feedback will also inform implementation of an automated career

planning tool, designed in partnership with the PDI, and aligned to the state’s PD system to

identify career goals, document PD, and find local and virtual best practices in PD, including

higher education and local training.

Improving transitions. Building on the work of the Transitions to Kindergarten workgroup

(page 7), and in collaboration with the DOE Title I Office, the HSSCO, and CF, we will collect

and share best practice tools and resources to assist families and providers with transition

through a dedicated website and ten regional Transition to Kindergarten summits to encourage

community collaboration and action planning to improve transitions for children. The Preschool

Network (page 6) will further support local communities with transition best practices and

planning for transitions through quarterly online regional meetings. We will create regional

online learning communities among 1) ECE teachers and kindergarten teachers, 2) ECE and

elementary system leaders, and 3) statewide system leaders to develop and implement strategies

to support successful transitions. OEL partners will also provide early literacy training for

preschool directors and educators in targeted areas based on child achievement gaps identified

through the kindergarten readiness screener. Resources, including a train-the-trainer model with

regional facilitators and ELCs, will be implemented to ensure sustainability.

Systematic statewide technical assistance. FL will move toward a more coordinated system

of TA by: 1) creating an OEL/DCF Streamlined Monitoring Workgroup to explore coordination

of health and safety and SR Program monitoring to reduce inspections and provide a unified

monitoring and TA approach for ECE providers; 2) developing TA standards and protocols for


36

state level staff and providing certified training based on developed standards and protocols; and

3) creating and implementing strategies to collect data, evaluate, and provide feedback on TA.

TA will be better coordinated at the local level through 1) strengthening the Infant/Toddler,

Preschool and Inclusion Networks through standards, training, and feedback loops; 2) adopting

and implementing coaching/mentoring standards, certifications, and processes; 3) building

CLASS implementation TA supports by developing guidance documents, sharing best practices

across program types (e.g., SR, HS) and regions through online learning communities and other

means; 4) leveraging CLASS observers between ELCs and HS/EHS; and 5) building TA

capacity to support strategic plan priorities, to include data-driven decision-making, CLASS

program assessment, child assessment, family engagement, transition to kindergarten, and PD.

To best support children’s development, FL is certifying coaches with focused expertise on

mental health to provide TA for ECE. FAIMH has adopted an endorsement program to address

gaps in the mental health workforce. OEL will support ECE coaches in obtaining this

endorsement and contract for reflective supervisors to support these coaches.

Month 7-12

7-12

7-12

3-6 7-12

7-9 10-12

7-12

Detailed Summary of Activity 4 Projects Best Practices: UF build out Early Learning Florida platform; assemble curated, searchable resource library of best practices; online learning communities to facilitate sharing best practices Best Practices: ELPFP cumulative report to identify strategies with greatest impact on quality; outline recommendations for expanding access to QI supports Best Practices: OEL outline and share best practices that have greatest impact on reliably implementing child assessments at scale in communities with ELCs Best Practices: ELCs apply for grants to build local child assessment capacity Best Practices: OEL provide competitive grants to ELCs to build capacity based on local needs; support to facilitate successful implementation and capacity building Best Practices: Regional CoP best practice summits Best Practices: Create facilitated online CoPs for specific roles (directors, administrators, coaches, teachers working with specific groups such as infants, children with special needs), facilitated locally by ELCs and other partners Best Practices: Convene task force to align PD with early learning; articulation agreements; alignment of credentials with wage supports


37

1-12 Best Practices: UF engage stakeholders to develop shared coaching/mentoring standards that reflect best practices across multiple approaches and recommendations on QI processes; OEL adopt to inform statewide coaching investments

1-12 Best Practices: Utilize best practices/automated coaching tools so QI partners across all B-5 funding streams can support coordinated QI

1-12 Best Practices: Build coaching capacity with new tools that reflect best practices provide better individualized supports for practitioners

to

1-8 Improving Transitions: Implement ten regional transition to kindergarten summits and quarterly regional online meetings

7-12 Improving Transitions: Expand website to share best practices in transitions 7-12 Improving Transitions:

teachers, early childhooCreate regional online learning communities among ECE/K d/elementary system leaders, and statewide system leaders

1-12 Improving Transitions: OEL partners identify/provide emergent literacy training, train-the-trainer capacity building; PD to help ECE teachers/leaders address kindergarten readiness gaps

4-10 Systematic TA: Coordinated Monitoring System Workgroup 7-12 Systematic TA: Identify and conduct Mental Health supervisor training

ACTIVITY FIVE: IMPROVING OVERALL QUALITY

FL is well poised to improve the quality of ECE statewide, informed by the demonstrated

success of ELPFP in improving quality of programs that serve children at greatest risk for school

failure; implementation of quality standards and program assessment in the SR Program;

significant quality investments around the state that are making a measurable difference,

particularly on PD through T.E.A.C.H., Early Learning Florida, and others; the nation’s largest

ECE coaching certification that is making measurable impact on program quality; and

meaningful progress toward a coordinated child assessment system, focused on practitioners’

ability to individualize instruction and support developmentally appropriate gains over time.

Framework and Timeline. The needs assessment and strategic plan will be completed in six

months. The Core Team will ensure QI plans are ready for launch at the six-month mark,

building upon work already underway. System partners are in place to assist with

implementation. We will build from previous federal investments, particularly those from SR

quality funds and focus on expanding evidence-based practices.


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Expanding QI analysis capacity. Informed by the needs assessment and strategic plan, FL

will expand ECENA to conduct more comprehensive analyses of the ECE B-5 system of

supports and how families are engaging with them. This capacity will be regularly updated and

incorporate program quality data through metrics established within the Index (page 15).

• A more comprehensive understanding of the supply of quality ECE services will be

developed to integrate all ECE service providers (e.g. EHS, HS, VPK, local ECE services)

into a provider infrastructure matrix for each geographic region, which will account for

service type, proportion of intended population served, and family vulnerability status.

• A more comprehensive description of access will result from incorporating additional ECE

service provider data into the Index (EHS, HS, VPK, local ECE services, waitlists, and

measures of family success in applying for and enrolling in services). This will provide a

consistent measure of ECE system performance related to meeting the needs of vulnerable

children and families.

• The integration of data from different service delivery sectors into ECENA will help develop

additional measures of system effectiveness and allow for a more in-depth unduplicated

count of children being served across programs.

By using the data and experiences from Activities 1 and 2, FL will establish this new analytic

capacity. Through automated monthly and annual reporting, FL will have significant new

capacity to inform application for services, vulnerability status, and data to respond to seasonal

and geographic fluctuations in utilization and overall participation in B-5 support services. An

analysis on how performance fluctuates in different communities will help identify targeted

strategies to build supply and improve quality in underserved areas. OEL will produce a

summary of aggregate results by month 11 (and regularly beyond PDG) that will be shared with


39

the SAC to inform planning for those at greatest risk of school failure, including vulnerable and

underserved populations, rural communities and other specialized populations, as well as

children transitioning to kindergarten.

Determine how to align rates with quality expectations so families have broader choice.

As noted in Activity 1, a significant challenge impacting access to quality are low and

geographically inconsistent payment rates. Through the Activity 1 work, OEL will better

understand the base market in all counties in a more nuanced way than a traditional market rate

study. Working with the consultant who completed the cost modeling analysis/tool and

developed recommendations for how to align payments and quality expectations, UF will

automate the ability to complete a cost modeling capacity annually as part of ECENA, including

functionality that analyzes capacity, enrollment, and analysis of the actual cost of meeting

different levels of quality identified by OEL.

Improving Professional Development. ECE program owners, directors and practitioners

have many challenges in terms of accessing, affording, and completing PD. Wages and profit

margins are low in the field, and turnover is high. Scholarships and bonuses, like those available

through T.E.A.C.H., have demonstrated positive impacts on completion of PD and reduction in

turnover. In 2018, FL allocated $10 million in T.E.A.C.H. scholarships for practitioners to utilize

statewide. Further, through the OEL/UF Early Learning Florida partnership, FL has pioneered

small stipends of $100 for online models and $125 for blended models using online CoP or

coaching per 20-hour course based on demonstrated mastery of content; this has dramatically

increased the amount of PD completed annually among participants and has led to demonstrated

improvements in teacher skills and program quality. Given the new statutory definition of quality

and implementation of program assessment, we will expand the opportunity for practitioners to


40

access content through Early Learning Florida, myTeachstone, or other approved training that

align to CLASS results, building child assessment capacity and supporting QI.

FL will combine its success on both investments and create new on-ramps for providers

seeking to advance on the career pathway, as well as expand evidence-based PD investments

currently available only to SR programs to all B-5 publicly funded programs, including HS/EHS

and VPK. FL will provide stipends to practitioners that demonstrate mastery of specialized,

approved credential/college credits with the support of CoPs. PD offerings will be tied to

mastery requirements, and COPs will be led by FL’s network of over 400 certified facilitators.

Findings from the needs assessment will be utilized to adjust the focus of PD and CoPs. Given

prior work completed, OEL, ELCs, higher education and local partners have the infrastructure in

place to implement this work upon completion of the needs assessment and strategic plan. OEL

will utilize PDG funding to provide additional stipends and support increased culturally and

linguistically appropriate PD for practitioners serving FL’s most vulnerable populations.

As part of the effort to improve PD, OEL will work with partners and stakeholders to revise

and align the FL Core Competencies for Early Care and Education to the national pathway

established through the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s Power to the

Profession campaign. Content will be strengthened to incorporate new evidence-based practices

and translate competencies into best practices for implementation. Additionally, this work will

support articulation of FL’s PD into credentials and degrees that are nationally recognized.

ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY AND MANAGEMENT

Agencies, key individuals. OEL will lead grant implementation. A small team will meet

weekly to ensure benchmarks are achieved and to problem solve any challenges that may be

causing delays; these staff members will be part of the Core Team.


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• PDG Lead: Stephanie Gehres, Deputy Director of Operations and Programs (B.S.

Finance and Accounting; M.S. Accountancy) Experience: Over 15 years administering early

learning programs. Expertise: Auditing, stakeholder collaboration, program development,

implementation and evaluation, program finance, and quality and performance based system

development/management. Role on PDG: Project Director; oversight and accountability for

contracts and procurement; project planning/execution; strategic planning; budget planning;

project/content development.

• Molly Grant, Policy Analyst/Project Manager (B.S. Interdisciplinary Social Science,

MPA, Public Administration/Policy, FL Cert. Contract Manager) Experience: Over 11 years

in policy development/implementation; CCDF plan management/development, child care

health/safety. Expertise: project management, public administration, expulsion prevention

and equitable practices. Role on PDG: Project manager; oversight of grant and timelines;

implementation deadlines.

• Erin Smeltzer, School Readiness Program Manager (B.S. Child and Family Development,

M.S. Education) Experience: 15 years in ECE as teacher, director, and managing state QI

efforts. Expertise: Inclusion, equitable practices, quality and performance-based system

building/management, trauma-informed care, PD, business practices, curriculum. Role on

PDG: QI project development; implementation; planning; forecasting; collaboration and

alignment; provider engagement.

• Lisa Zenoz, Financial Administration and Budget Services (FABS) Manager (B.S.

Psychology, FL Cert. Contract Manager) Experience: 13 years in state financial and grant

management related to ECE and workforce programs. Role on PDG: Directing grant and

contract management oversight activities; financial payment data/federal reporting.


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• Nacole Guyton, Head Start State Collaboration Director (B.S. Education, M.S.

Education, Ed.S Education) Experience: Over 15 years working in higher education,

HS/EHS, and other education programs. Expertise: Collaboration, program development,

collaboration, dual-language learning, family engagement. Role on PDG: Project/content

development; collaboration; project management; lead engagement of HS/EHS grantees;

bring best practices and experience from HS to PDG implementation.

Other key OEL staff and their experience and PDG responsibilities include:

• Melanie May, Deputy Director of Information (B.S. Education, PMP) Experience: Over

15 years working with information systems, infrastructure development; lead modernization

of statewide information systems infrastructure for subsidy and VPK programs. Expertise:

information technology. Role on PDG: Develop technology plans and processes; manage

system infrastructure development.

• Reginal Williams, Program Integrity Unit (PI) Manager (B.S. Electrical Engineering, FL

Cert. Contract Manager) Experience: 13 years in program accountability and policy

development/implementation; manages monitoring of CCDF programmatic/fiscal operations;

manages CCDF policy TA. Expertise: compliance, administration. Role on PDG: Directing

grant and contract oversight activities.

• Melinda Webster, VPK Program Specialist (B.S. Elementary Education, M.S. Reading

Practices) Experience: Over 35 years as a teacher, reading specialist/coach/coordinator, state

literacy specialist and state director of literacy and ECE. Expertise: Early literacy, ECE

standards, child development, successful transitions. Role on PDG: QI project development;

implementation; strategic planning; forecasting; collaboration and alignment.


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• Courtnie Wheeless, CCR&R Manager (B.S. Human Development/Family Studies, MPA,

Public Administration/Policy) Experience: 15 years in family services and CCR&R;

Expertise: family engagement, consumer ed., public admin., community engagement. Role

on PDG: Project/content development; lead for family engagement.

Department of Children and Families (DCF) will be a part of the Core Team and

implement certain elements of grant activities. Key staff members include:

• Samantha Wass de Czege, Office of Child Care Regulation Director (B.S.

Sociology/Political Science) Experience: 25 years in social work, family services, child care

regulation. Expertise: Administration, family engagement, policy, child care health/safety.

Role on PDG: Project development; collaboration; management.

Key Partners

• Dr. Herman Knopf, UF Anita Zucker Center (Ph.D., Early Childhood Curriculum and

Instruction) Experience: 20 years in ECE as teacher, director, and researcher. Expertise:

Family involvement, secondary data analysis of large administrative datasets, child care

access, quality enhancement, PD systems, ECE policy research/evaluation. Role on PDG:

Lead researcher - needs assessment, development/refinement of integrated data system.

• Dr. Brittany Birken, UF Lastinger Center (Ph.D., Child Development) Experience: Over

20 years in ECE delivery, public policy, administration, QI; former FL child care

administrator. Expertise: System development, policy, PD. Role on PDG: Co-lead strategist

implementing UF scope: strategic plan, best practices and family engagement.

• Dr. Abby Thorman, UF Lastinger Center (Ph.D., Family Studies and Human Services)

Experience: Over 25 years in ECE system development, policy, systems change. Expertise:


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System development, QI, PD. Role on PDG: Co-lead strategist implementing UF scope:

strategic plan, best practices and family engagement.

Grant alignment/expected impact. The expected impact of PDG is to create a more

coordinated, efficient, responsive ECE system, maximize parental choice, increase family

engagement, and improve quality through direct support and by sharing best practices among the

ECE workforce. The PDG is timely, as FL’s readiness for system advances is unprecedented: 1)

There is significant opportunity to more fully engage families and provide enhanced referrals and

comprehensive information on children’s development, programming and services; 2) With

expansion of the needs assessment portal, the state can develop metrics and tools to provide

analytics to inform current and future work related to quality (equitable access statewide and in

high risk/high need communities), availability (capacity analysis for oversaturation and/or

limitations in access), and affordability (payment rates, enrollment, and other factors impacting

program and parent costs), and 3) Given the implementation of quality standards such as

program assessment, there is significant need and benefit to partner with the ECE providers to

increase customized PD and coaching that align to QI.

OEL has strong experience and expertise in all PDG topics. OEL is the ECE system

visionary and CCDF administrator, and regularly identifies strategies to strengthen the quality,

availability, and accessibility of ECE programs in FL across the mixed delivery system for

children B-5. OEL oversees CCR&R, extensive quality investments to share best practices with

providers via PD, coaching, and other supports and innovative QI tools.

Capacity to administer the funding, development and sustainability. OEL successfully

administers multiple ECE programs totaling over $1 billion in funding. These projects require

expertise in content, procurement practices, program development and implementation, finance


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and accounting, compliance/programmatic and fiscal monitoring, system evaluation, and policy

development. OEL’s structure and business practices include individual units working

strategically and in tandem to implement coordinated programs and policies.

PLAN FOR OVERSIGHT OF FEDERAL AWARD FUNDS

OEL serves as the lead agency for CCDF and has extensive experience providing oversight

for federal awards. OEL will utilize its existing monitoring framework to account for the PDG.

OEL has a robust monitoring plan, which includes risk assessment, internal control surveys,

onsite programmatic and financial monitoring, as well as fiscal desk reviews. OEL’s PI and

FABS units conduct these monitoring activities. The PI unit manager, Reginal Williams and the

FABS unit manager, Lisa Zenoz, will be responsible for directing grant oversight activities.

Additionally, the project manager, Molly Grant, will be responsible for oversight management.

All contract managers are FL Certified Contract Managers.

Grant revenue and expenditures will be tracked in the state’s uniform accounting system, FL

Accounting Information Resource (FLAIR), using unique accounting codes. FLAIR is used by

all FL agencies to capture and record financial activity and is designed to provide accounting

control over assets, liabilities, revenues, expenditures, and budgetary control for management.

FLAIR is designed to provide adequate information to support research and to meet post audit

requirements. OEL staff review annual budget, revenue, and expenditure reporting to ensure

reporting of costs are in accordance with the uniform chart of accounts and in compliance with

targeted funds and restrictions. The FABS unit maintains records to compare budget to

expenditures on a monthly basis. Additionally, the FL Auditor General performs an annual audit

of compliance and internal controls over financial reporting and federal awards.


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OEL implements its programs through a complex and sophisticated set of partnerships,

notably the close relationship with the state’s 30 ELCs that administer the CCDF and VPK

programs in all 67 counties in the state. OEL also oversees extensive partnerships largely

organized by formal networks (page 6) and standing committees/workgroups (page 7-8). OEL

participates as a leader in the CYC, SAC, FL Interagency Coordinating Council for Infants and

Toddlers, ECPC, which includes extensive work with Part B and Part C, health, mental health,

workforce, and other stakeholders to improve coordination and collaboration, streamline

services, and ensure services are responsive and meeting the needs of specific populations. OEL

collaborates to evaluate the state’s investments. These rigorous evaluations were completed in

partnership with higher education, particularly UF, which is on the PDG team to bring

experience in continuous QI, PD, and data-driven decision-making.

SUSTAINABILITY PLAN

The below chart outlines OEL’s plan to ensure sustainability for PDG projects to achieve our

long-term goal of a cohesive, coordinated B-5 mixed-delivery system. This sustainability plan

will be refined, as needed, based on results of the completed needs assessment, strategic plan and

implementation of other grant activities.

Key Long Term Plan for Sustainability Projects Needs PDG funds will expand ECENA infrastructure to sustain future needs Assessment assessment efforts and analysis. Once built, ongoing maintenance costs will be Portal minimal, and have historically been supported and paid for by OEL; this will

continue post-PDG. State PDG will fund ongoing collaboration that be sustained through establishing Advisory Memoranda of Understanding/Interagency Agreements with each participating Council entity, including designating ongoing staff. Professional PDG will enable FL to develop coaching standards, which will help inform how Development coaching funding is spent beyond PDG, making these investments more

efficient and effective. PDG will also enable development of new PD and expansion of capacity to share best practices; this will be sustained through OEL’s contract with UF and others. The Transitions to Kindergarten website


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Key Projects

Long Term Plan for Sustainability

will be expanded and sustained through existing OEL funds. ELCs will have staff certified as mental health consultants to build internal capacity.

ECE PD Registry

PDG will strengthen the Registry with new functionality, including an interactive PD catalog, and will be sustained as part of overall Registry operations.

CCR&R Network Services

PDG will develop training for CCR&R, which will be available at minimal cost (only cost of processing CEUs and hosting) beyond PDG and will be budgeted with current funding.

Parent Knowledge and Engagement

PDG will enable development of a dramatically enhanced Parent Portal and Provider Profiles so families will have access to more robust information to maximize choice of sites that will meet their needs. The Provider Profiles and Parent Portal will be sustained with current funding. The video vignettes will be hosted on the Parent Portal at no additional cost.

Single Point of Entry Feasibility Study

PDG will enable a detailed planning process to identify how to enhance family ease of access when applying for services. This functionality will be built inside of existing system(s), currently covered within each agencies’ budgets, and will streamline services to enable more efficient use of resources.

Program Assessment

PDG will build statewide awareness of quality standards and capacity to implement best practices as defined in new statutory requirement and rule; these investments will not supplant current investments for implementation of best practices. Costs for ongoing onboarding of new workforce will be minimal and will be included in OEL’s current budget beyond PDG.

Child Assessment

PDG will build significant local capacity to implement best practices on child assessment, including purchasing hardware, training affiliate trainers, and helping the workforce refine practice, which experience has shown is less expensive over time. Costs to sustain affiliate trainers will be minimal and supported due to alignment of work to the Grade Level Success Committee recommendation implemented as a priority of the Legislature.

Early Learning Florida

PDG funds will enable expansion of access to new resource library, online CoPs, and other tools to share best practices; access to Early Learning Florida will be sustained through current partnership and CCDF funding. New functionality will also include private pay options to expand access.

Quality Improvement

PDG investments will develop tools to ease implementation and enhance connectivity between peers (coaches, teachers, etc.). The needs assessment and strategic plan will enable evaluation of current investments to identify areas for more targeted, impactful and efficient QI efforts; OEL will work with ELCs to prioritize quality spending, to make investments more impactful.

DISSEMINATION PLAN

Effective dissemination of grant tools is a primary objective of OEL, and the primary goal is

essential to ensure stakeholders and partners are well informed about new tools and how to use


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them. As part of the strategic planning process, OEL will outline an in-depth communication

plan and dissemination timeline for key grant activities and identify target audiences to ensure

they are disseminated in a format that meets the needs of the audience. Preliminary target

audiences include child care providers, parents and families, ELCs, other partners, elected

officials, and the public. OEL will ensure information is culturally and linguistically appropriate

for its intended audience. Information will be disseminated through social media messaging;

website updates; email campaigns for parents and providers to ensure they have up-to-date

information on improvements to program access and availability; provider and parent

conferences; and regional boot-camp trainings for providers, ELCs and partner agencies.

OEL will utilize agencies and stakeholders as dissemination partners and collaborate to share

messaging and information on grant activity progress. Dissemination responsibilities will be

coordinated through OEL, and will utilize dedicated communications and CCR&R state network

staff housed within OEL. Additionally, OEL will coordinate with SAC partner agencies through

interagency agreements to share communications and expand outreach.

OEL will assess dissemination efforts and include measurable criteria to assess the impact of

communications, focusing on dissemination outcomes versus efforts. Evaluation strategies will

include using metrics to determine the reach of message and resource dissemination; utilization

of web analytics; and survey analysis of parents, partners and other stakeholders.

EVALUATION PLAN

Expected Outcomes. As described in the PDG logic model, FL will expand the existing

statewide needs assessment portal to enable better understanding of needs, access, and quality;

streamline policies and enrollment processes to improve access and provide high quality

consumer education for all families; expand access to best practices among the B-5 workforce to


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support QI; and strengthen programs through increased access to QI strategies through effective

PD, coaching and related supports that improve kindergarten readiness and early grade success.

Based on these goals, short-term outcomes include: an updated needs assessment portal that

informs policy and practice; an unified, updated B-5 Strategic Plan that maximizes funding and

increases opportunities; increased family awareness, engagement, access, and choice to high

quality learning environments and services; and expanded access to QI strategies and

opportunities. From these short-term outcomes, there is an expected increase in family access to

high quality providers; children who successfully enter kindergarten ready for early grade

success; quality, credentialed providers who have the capacity to provide quality interactions;

data-driven decisions at the local, regional, and statewide levels; better aligned resources,

strategies, and information through more efficient and coordinated B-5 programs.

Program Performance Evaluation Plan. FL will first examine and analyze current

practices in the state to determine needs and resources. Thus, the process for program

performance evaluation will be scaffolded and examine all levels, systems, stakeholders, and

resources through the needs assessment and strategic plan. The evaluation will also set up

systems for monitoring implementation, outcomes, and cost-effectiveness into the future.

Metrics for Evaluation. The metrics below will be tracked through OEL project

management and assessed by the evaluator, hired through competitive bid by month 3.

Activity Implementation and process metrics (Inputs and Activities)

Expand and Update Current Needs Assessment Portal

Data process, storage and reporting tools to analyze current data and create additional indicators; needs analysis of current state programs; unique child count across programs; payment rate analysis; assessment of needs assessment portal through examination of access Community feedback analysis; statewide stakeholder focus groups

Develop Statewide analysis; stakeholder surveys; screening, assessment evaluation and Strategic Plan analysis; ongoing analysis of functionality, feasibility; assessment of first

six months of strategic plan process and stakeholder involvement


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Maximize Parental Choice and Knowledge

Parent/Provider focus groups to determine feedback on consumer education; parent/provider assessment of new tools modified based on their feedback; analyze local efforts through case studies; feasibility study to examine workflow, implementation requirements, tech requirements, timeline and project cost for single point of entry

Sharing Best Practices Among ECE and Education Partners

Number of CoPs, webinars, courses taken, resources accessed; cost analysis to determine increased efficiency/coordination; new practitioners who are able to access CoPs, courses, resources; practitioner assessment of usefulness, how it has impacted practice; sample of program assessment; coaching certifications; virtual coaching accessed; credentials completed; articulation efforts accessed/analyzed; ELPFP cumulative evaluation (Years 1-5); observation/analysis of standards (rubric)

Improving Overall Quality

Stipend participant pre-post knowledge assessment; sample of program assessment; reporting tools expansion and enrollment analysis; counts of children; analysis of data-driven systems

Refinement of Logic Model. OEL will work with all statewide partners to refine the Logic

Model by month 5, informed by the needs assessment, current research and practice in the field,

and in response to any changes in the policy environment. Using a design-based framework, this

model is a living, working guide and has the ability to change throughout the needs assessment

phase. Review and analysis will guide implementation and evaluation decisions and help the

Core Team revise needed research and activities, leading to identified outputs and aligned with

short- and long-term outcomes.

Existing Data Infrastructure and Metrics to Examine Process and Implementation. FL

will utilize existing federal technical assistance structures and implementation systems to inform

the implementation of PDG and improvements to FL’s B-5 mixed delivery system. This data will

help ensure PDG investments are fulfilling the vision. The evaluators will confirm completion of

this data usage and identify ways in which the data and aligned work might be strengthened to

inform overall improvements to FL’s B-5 mixed delivery system:

• ECENA and Index (page 13, page 15): FL will have new data and the reporting capacity will

be expanded through PDG, which will be used to inform the grant work.


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• Data from B-5 agencies (listed in Appendix): Letters of commitment have been established

with DCF, DOE, DOH, AHCA, HS, EHS, and CSCs to examine and integrate existing data

sources per activities in the logic model.

• CCR&R and HMG (page 25): CCR&R is in every FL County and HMG is in 27 counties;

these programs are designed to support early identification of developmental and/or

behavioral concerns, and then link children and their families to community-based

developmental and behavioral services and supports.

• Statewide system and services coordination for sharing best practices: OEL and its

numerous partners provide TA and share best practices among ELCs, providers, families, and

state and community-based organizations in a variety of ways. These systems include data

portals and platforms that provide PD and in-system evaluation of professional practices.

• Statewide data of licensed center and family providers: Data of providers entering and

exiting the system for ongoing monitoring, and evaluation of efforts to increase providers

over time, including data on provider ratings (ELPFP Years 1-5), CLASS scores, and site

characteristics.

New Data Sources. OEL will gather new data through focus groups, planning sessions,

interviews and surveys, and integrate new and existing data into ECENA and expand reporting

capacity to understand needs in new ways (page 13). Together, this will enable FL to integrate

understanding of needs within current systems and structures. New data will be used to

• Gather implementation information on the strategies; OEL will conduct ten stakeholder focus

groups to inform needs assessment and strategic planning process.

• Gather information regarding parent engagement from providers and families; individual

interviews, focus groups and surveys will be administered to a representative sample.


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• Determine PD impact and needs; approved PD will incorporate a pre- and post- survey to

determine whether participation in individual PD, training, and coaching creates impact on

provider knowledge; a sample of CLASS scores will assess impact on quality and practice.

• Understand statewide QI; an evaluation of ELPFP (Years 1-5) will determine statewide

quality through CLASS scores, child assessment data, and provider interviews and feedback.

• Examine the implementation and initial outcomes of activities related to sharing best

practices (Activity 4); the evaluation team will collect information and analytics on courses,

micro-credentials, coaching, CoPs, and collaboration within the PD platform.

• Understand alignment of higher education expectations; the evaluation team will review

documents and policies from ECE and state partners/organizations and document progress.

• For overall PDG assessment, the evaluation team will conduct ongoing surveys and

interviews with key stakeholders about perceptions of collaboration and efficiency and how

these perceptions change throughout the grant.

Methodological Approach. The primary focus of evaluation efforts will be integration and

implementation evaluation, drawing from existing data sources (including indicators identified in

the needs assessment) and from quantitative and qualitative information collected from key

stakeholders, including parents, providers, and organizations. The tracking system for indicators

will also lay the groundwork for ongoing monitoring of implementation and continuous QI.

Data Collection and Sampling. Data collection is described above, and sampling will be

determined by short- and long-term outcome needs. For Activities 1 and 2, criterion sampling

will be used based on needed stakeholders for focus groups, interviews, and surveys. For

Activities 3, 4, and 5, convenience and random sampling will be used to determine overall

impact and outcomes of objectives and to continue to monitor progress of implementation.


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Measurements and Analyses. FL will complete both quantitative and qualitative analysis:

Quantitative Analysis

• CLASS observations will be used to 1) determine levels of quality throughout the state and 2) for a sample of sites on which there is pre-post data, FL will assess gains in CLASS domain scores over the evaluation year using regression discontinuity design.

• Knowledge assessment scores (Activity 4) will consist of computing the means of pre-assessment and post-assessment knowledge scores collected from MMCI and Early Learning Florida courses and testing the difference for statistical significance using a paired-sample t-test.

• Survey analysis (Activities 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5) will use descriptive statistics (frequency of choice for each response category and the associated percentage) and the associated visualization produced for each survey question. In addition, t-tests will be performed to explore differences, and content analysis will be performed on open-ended questions.

Qualitative Analysis

• Interviews and focus groups will be recorded and transcribed. Transcripts will be loaded into HyperResearch software for analysis. This inductive analysis will include a pre-determined set of codes that reflect key constructs of interest regarding implementation and initial feedback, allowing the research team to select the appropriate coded portions of the transcript. Qualitative analysis will occur in two phases using an interpretive analysis method (Hatch, 2007; Miles, Huberman and Saldaña, 2013). In the first phase of analysis, researchers will analyze transcripts individually, and then meet to discuss and debate thoughts and reflections on participant data and reach consensus on understandings. A comprehensive analysis of each data set and researcher memos will be conducted, and data will be condensed into emerging codes and phrases related to goals and objectives outline in the PDG logic model. From this, a second phase of analysis will occur in which case studies are written to summarize findings.

• Cost analysis will be completed using tools developed by Opportunities Exchange, which will analyze the cost of implementing quality at different levels, and the cost of various interventions aligned to the projected impact on children’s outcomes.

The final performance evaluation report will include and synthesize the findings from the

needs assessment, feedback from stakeholders, implementation and evaluation data collected

through OEL’s project management tracking software, analysis of existing administrative data,

surveys, and focus groups. The final report will identify successes and outline recommendations

for areas of continued improvement around coordination of services, efficiency of systems,

responsiveness to families, and improvement of B-5 programs and services.


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LOGIC MODEL

Vision: To increase the quality, coordination, alignment and efficiency of FL’s programs and services to support families’ needs and children’s readiness and early grade success, particularly vulnerable and underserved children. Goals: (1) Build on statewide needs assessment portal to enable better analysis of needs, access, and quality for informed data-driven policy solutions; (2) Streamline policies and enrollment processes to improve access and provide high quality consumer education for families across funding streams, programs, and services; and (3) Increase access to effective ECE QI strategies by developing standards for and expanded access to PD, coaching and related supports that improve kindergarten readiness and early grade success. Objectives Inputs Activities Outputs Short-term

Outcomes Long-term Outcomes

Data integration, refinement, and access to additional sources and components Streamline

policies, funding, and enrollment systems Expanded

parental access to services, information and choice Expanded access

to Quality Improvement (PD, Coaching Supports) for ECE programs

U.S. DOE & HHS funding and guidance FL OEL

leadership, staffing, programming, and supports Foundations,

advocates, and stakeholders ECE workforce

PD and supports ECE providers’

capacity and quality Higher education

capacity (faculty, courses, supports, evaluations) Parents, families,

community,

Expansion and update needs assessment portal to conduct ongoing, periodic statewide B-5 needs assessment and identify core areas of needs for efficiency and improvement Develop a

Strategic Plan for more effective, efficient, coordinated and collaborative programs that maximizes funding and improve opportunities

Data that identifies needs for support; integrates perspectives of stakeholders; provides recommendations to align policies; and QI investments to expand access to quality Updated Strategic

Plan that maximizes funding, aligns workforce supports, and facilitates data integration Increased

awareness, support and access for

Updated needs assessment portal to inform policy and practice Strategic Plan that

maximizes funding and improve opportunities Increased family

awareness, access and engagement Increased children

in programs that provide trauma informed care, culturally responsive practice, and ELL/DLL support Standards of

practice for ECE

Increased access to high quality care Policies and

budget that align with all systems within Strategic Plan State and local

quality investments aligned to shared system goals Increased

education and credentialing for ECE professionals More children

entering school system


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Vision: To increase the quality, coordination, alignment and efficiency of FL’s programs and services to support families’ needs and children’s readiness and early grade success, particularly vulnerable and underserved children. Goals: (1) Build on statewide needs assessment portal to enable better analysis of needs, access, and quality for informed data-driven policy solutions; (2) Streamline policies and enrollment processes to improve access and provide high quality consumer education for families across funding streams, programs, and services; and (3) Increase access to effective ECE QI strategies by developing standards for and expanded access to PD, coaching and related supports that improve kindergarten readiness and early grade success. Objectives Inputs Activities Outputs Short-term

Outcomes Long-term Outcomes

regional, and district stakeholder capacity Child and family

characteristics and ECE needs

Maximize parental choice, knowledge and link families to full range of services Share best

practices among ECE providers Improve overall

quality of ECE programs through development, implementation and evaluation of evidence based practices

families to screening results, child development info, provider profiles, digital tools to enhance parental choice Sharing best

practices across systems and disciplines to promote quality for ECE programs Enhanced

infrastructure through assessment of systems to promote access, alignment, and quality

programs across all ages and disciplines that improve knowledge, capacity and quality ECE PD platform

for statewide access Unduplicated

counts of children, service needs and access

kindergarten ready Increased

selection of high quality ECE programs Single point of

entry services and support to meet families’ needs Ongoing data-

driven decision-making based on aligned systems and information


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PROJECT BUDGET AND BUDGET JUSTIFICATION

TOTAL ESTIMATED PROJECT FUNDING $15,600,000 Project Budget by Grant Program Function or Activity

Grant Program Function or Activity Federal Non-Federal Total Activity 1 – Needs Assessment $310,000 $20,000 $330,000 Activity 2 – Strategic Plan $225,000 $20,000 $245,000 Activity 3 – Maximize Parental Choice $2,497,038 $3,323,000 $5,820,038 Activity 4 – Sharing Best Practices $6,311,582 $200,000 $6,511,582 Activity 5 – Quality Improvement $1,940,000 $1,940,000 Program Performance Evaluation/TA $500,000 $500,000 Organizational Capacity $216,380 $37,000 $253,380

Total $12,000,000 $3,600,000 $15,600,000 Project Budget by Object Class Category

Object Class Category Federal Non-Federal Total Personnel N/A – existing resources will be used Fringe N/A – existing resources will be used Travel $130,000 $183,750 $313,750 Equipment N/A – existing resources will be used Supplies $3,250 $3,250 Contractual $11,705,000 $3,281,000 $14,986,000 Construction N/A Other $148,620 $132,000 $280,620 Total Direct $11,983,620 $3,600,000 $15,583,620 Total Indirect $16,380 $16,380 Total $12,000,000 $3,600,000 $15,600,000

TOTAL FEDERAL FUNDING REQUEST $12,000,000 PERSONNEL/FRINGE OEL is fulfilling the following PDG roles by utilizing existing staff and non-PDG funding since activities within the application align with CCDF quality and VPK. Portions (.10-.25 FTE) of the following personnel will integrate PDG implementation into daily duties, as outlined in the Organizational Capacity section: Deputy Director of Operations and Programs, Deputy Director of Information, SR Program Manager, HSCCO Director, VPK Specialist, CCR&R Program Manager, Project Manager. This will happen seamlessly, because these roles are already focused on creating a more efficient, responsive, collaborative B-5 mixed delivery system for families and young children. Florida will utilize outside contractors (page 58) housed within OEL to perform certain grant activities. These personnel costs are outlined below under “Other Contractual Services.” Additional staff augmentation will occur through partnership with UF to ensure PDG goals are met. DCF staff are not included in this section, as they are paid through an interagency contractual agreement. This is the most cost effective personnel model and provides assurances that PDG B-5 activities are sustainable after the initial grant period has ended should Florida choose not to apply or is not selected for a Renewal Grant.


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TRAVEL $130,000 • Transition to Kindergarten Participant Travel ($433.33/person x 30 persons x 10 summits)

(Activity 4) CONTRACTUAL $11,705,000 All procurement transactions will be conducted in accordance with federal and state procurements rules that provide, to the maximum extent practical, open, and free competition. OEL will seek the most cost effective means for contracting by, when possible, obtaining requests for quotes, from prospective vendors available via state term contracts that have been procured by FL’s Department of Management Services and/or from state colleges or universities with the requisite qualifications and capabilities that are exempt from competitive procurement. Early Learning Coalitions: $4,477,962 • ELC Grants to build provider capacity to implement best practices, based on local needs and

implementation plan (e.g., training, technology, TA): $3,977,962 (Activity 4) • Stipends for providers who demonstrate mastery on approved PD aligned to CLASS and child

assessment: $500,000 (Activity 5) Florida Department of Children and Families: $904,038 The Office will amend existing interagency agreement to include: • Expand PD Registry functionality to include multi-system PD catalog: $160,000 (Activity 3) • Create workspace for designations prior to generating provider profiles: $622,031 (Activity 3) • Create data transfer to generate profile designations : $117,007 (Activity 3) • Streamlined Monitoring Workgroup (staff time for meetings): $5,000 (Activity 4)

UF Anita Zucker Center and College of Medicine: $630,000 • ECENA Expansion/Data Analysis (Needs Assessment): $235,000 (Activity 1) • ECENA Expansion/Data Analysis/Cost of Quality Integration: $395,000 (Activity 5) University of Florida Lastinger Center for Learning: $2,761,000 Budget based on cost estimates for similar work by a state college or university. • Cost of Quality Study/Stakeholder Surveys and Focus Groups: $75,000 (Activity 1) • Strategic Plan Development: $175,000 (Activity 2) • CCR&R Staff Training Development and COP facilitation (develop online modules; host on

platform; CoP facilitator and materials): $211,000 (Activity 3) • Video Vignettes for families on child development: $200,000 (Activity 3) • Family Engagement PD (develop online modules; host on platform): $200,000 (Activity 3) • Design Provider Profile Mobile App: $50,000 (Activity 3) • Early Learning Florida (expand access to online learning communities, online resource library

of best practices): $700,000 (Activity 4) • ELPFP Evaluation (develop cumulative evaluation to document best practices and make

recommendations on how to expand their implementation): $350,000 (Activity 4) • Facilitate CoP Regional Summits and extensive monthly online CoPs: $200,000 (Activity 4) • Facilitate process to create shared Coaching/Mentoring Standards, expand access to coaching

tools and automated coaching: $500,000 (Activity 4)


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• Emergent Literacy Training (facilitator, materials, participant costs): $100,000 (Activity 4) Other Contractual Services: $2,932,000 Due to the State’s requirement for competitive solicitation processes for procurement of commodities or contractual services in excess of $35,000, the identification of consultants/vendors by name for the following activities cannot be provided at this time. State procurement rules stipulate some exemptions to competitive procurement, including sole source, state term contract, state colleges or universities. The following scopes will be completed by competitive procurements and/or consultants exempt from competitive procurement: • Coordinated Child Assessment Plan: $50,000 (Activity 2) • OEL Parent Portal (Contracted IT staffing resources): $145,000 (Activity 3) • Determine data transfer process to share screening information between HMG and ECE

programs: $200,000 (Activity 3) • Vroom (Vroom materials to increase provider engagement): $35,000 (Activity 3) • Feasibility Study: $250,000 (Activity 3) • Enhance Provider Profiles (Contracted IT staffing resources): $78,000 (Activity 3) • Family Needs Assessment (Contracted IT staffing resources): $29,000 (Activity 3) • Equity Training: $100,000 (Activity 3) • Align PD to Early Learning Standards/Identify Designations/Articulation Agreements:

$100,000 (Activity 4) • Emergent Literacy: $100,000 (Activity 4) • Build Capacity for Mental Health (Consultation) $100,000 (Activity 4) • Teachstone: myTeachstone (sole source contract 20K user licenses): $520,000 (Activity 5) • Provider Training/Tools (identified by needs assessment/strategic plan): $345,000 (Activity 5) • Update core competencies that align with national pathway and standards (convene

state/national experts, review/revise, finalize/publish documents): $180,000 (Activity 5) • Program Performance Evaluation and Related Technical Assistance (Competitive Procurement

by March 1): $500,000 • Staff augmentation, Contract Management (2 FTE: @$24.88/hr, fringe @38%; 5% admin):

$150,000 (Org. Capacity) • Staff augmentation, SAC Support (.5 FTE @$33.18/hr plus fringe @38%, 5% admin): $50,000

(Org. Capacity)

OTHER $148,620 • Translation of Materials (Family Guide @ $0.14/word x 7531 words; Quality Checklist @

$0.14/per word x 1855 words; Standards @ $0.14/word x 13,296 words; $2,325 for set up/formatting and any additional documents): $5,500 (Activity 3)

• Consultant for Family Focus Groups ($97/hr x 974 hrs): $94,500 (Activity 3) • Printing materials for Transition to Kindergarten: $3,620 (Activity 4) • Consultant to facilitate Streamlined Monitoring Workgroup: $45,000 (Activity 4) INDIRECT $16,380 DOE has an indirect cost rate approved by the U.S. DOE that includes a predetermined rate of 12.6% applicable to OEL programs (Appendix). The distribution base is Modified Total Direct Costs (total direct costs excluding equipment, capital expenditures, participant support costs, pass through funds and the portion of each subaward above $25,000). Indirect costs include costs


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incurred for common or joint purposes that benefit more than one cost objective and cannot be identified with a particular benefitting program (i.e. overhead and accounting functions).

COMMITMENT OF NON-FEDERAL RESOURCES $3,600,000 OEL has obtained commitments for the non-federal share in an amount equal to 30 percent of the total federal request. State general revenue (non-federal resource) will be used to carry out activities of the grant, are not being claimed as matching sources for another Federal award, and can be used to meet the State’s match requirement by the end of the 12-month project period. TRAVEL (budgeted in accordance with s.112, F.S.) $183,750 • Stakeholder Focus Groups ($2,000/mtg x 10 mtgs throughout FL): $20,000 (Activity 1) • CoP meetings (Staff travel @ $2,000/mtg x 3 mtgs at central location; Conference Room @

$1,500/mtg x 3 mtgs): $10,000 (Activity 3) • Family Focus Groups ($2,000/mtg x 10 mtgs throughout FL): $20,000 (Activity 3) • Transition to Kindergarten ($200/person x 10 persons x 10 mtgs): $20,000 (Activity 4) • Early Literacy Training (3-day training @$1,000/person x 80 persons): $80,000 (Activity 4) • SAC in Tallahassee, FL ($1,070/person x 5 members x 5 mtgs): $26,750 (Org. Capacity) • PDG grantee meeting in Washington, D.C. (4 Travelers: Airfare @ $819/trip x 4; Hotel

$225/night x 3 nights x 4; Meals @ $36/day x 3 days x 4; Per Diem @ $80/day (last day) x 4; Transportation @ $48/day x 2; Parking @ $11/day x 4 days x 4): $7,000 (Org. Capacity)

SUPPLIES $3,250 • SAC Materials: $3,250 (Org. Capacity) CONTRACTUAL $3,281,000 • ELCs (quality expenditures that align with PDG): $1,249,543 (Activity 3) • Children’s Forum (HMG activities that align with PDG): $2,021,457 (Activity 3) • DCF Interagency Agreement (Streamlined Monitoring Workgroup, travel for Local Licensing

Agencies): $10,000 (Activity 4) OTHER $132,000 • Collaboration Lab (2 meetings @ $10,000 each): $20,000 (Activity 2) • Printing (Family Guide @ $.039/guide x 30K; Quality Checklist @ $0.20/document x 30K; set

up fees/shipping @ $4,300): $22,000 (Activity 3) • Transition to Kindergarten Facilitator ($4,000/summit x 10 summits): $40,000 (Activity 4) • Early Literacy Training (Trainer @$7,550/3-day training; Additional mentoring for “trainer"

designation @ $281/participant x 80 participants; $5000 materials): $50,000 (Activity 4)

PROJECT TIMELINE AND MILESTONES PROGRAM PERFORMANCE

The project timeline represents the 12-month grant period; each task identified will be

completed in the shaded months. The project manager will document and track all grant projects

and project milestones, including scope, timelines, data, deliverables, and tasks associated with


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each project, within project management tracking software. Additionally, project budget and

expenditures will be documented and tracked through FLAIR, with supplemental reports.

The project timeline includes four project milestones, occurring at the end of each quarter of

the grant period. These milestones coincide with significant project deadlines within the overall

timeline, including deadlines for completion of the needs assessment, strategic plan, reports,

system development and focus groups, as noted with a star in the plan. Factors that may

accelerate or decelerate the timeline of grant activities include, but are not limited to timing for

obtaining legislative budget authority to spend grant funds; potential key staffing changes

resulting from new administration agency reorganization; and potential procurement timelines.

OEL anticipates the needs assessment and strategic plan will be completed no later than the

end of month six, leaving an estimated six months remaining in the overall grant period to

complete activities proposed for improving the overall quality of ECE programs and providers.


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FLORIDA PRESCHOOL DEVELOPMENT GRANT TIMELINE AND MILESTONES ( )

ACTION RESPONSIBILITY 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Project Milestones

NEEDS ASSESSMENT ECENA Expansion/Cost of Quality Study OEL Execution of data-use agreements/Data integration OEL, UF Design of survey/focus group questions OEL Stakeholder Focus Groups OEL/UF Interviews/Surveys with Families and Providers OEL/UF Cost Modeling Analysis OEL/UF Analysis of Integrated Data OEL/UF Count of unduplicated number of children served OEL/UF Identify Needs and Successes OEL/UF Needs Assessment Report OEL/UF STRATEGIC PLAN Coordinated Child Assessment Plan OEL, ELCs, Consultant Strategic Plan Development OEL Monthly Core Team Meetings/SAC progress updates OEL, Consultant Bi-Monthly SAC Meetings OEL, SAC Gather/synthesize existing strategic plan elements OEL In-person Stakeholder focus groups OEL, ELCs, Consultant(s) Collaborative Lab Sessions OEL, Contractor Finalize Strategic Plan OEL, SAC, Consultant(s) MAXIMIZING PARENTAL CHOICE CCR&R Specialists OEL CCR&R Network services OEL Expand Help Me Grow Network services OEL, CF Professional Development Modules OEL, UF Community of Practice Facilitation OEL, UF Vroom outreach OEL Professional Development OEL


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Expand Registry functionality (joint PD catalog) DOH, OEL, DCF, DOE Provider training on FE, Vulnerable populations OEL, DOE, UF, FAIMH, FSU,

DCF, DOH

Parent Knowledge and Engagement OEL Enhanced provider profiles OEL, DCF Develop family needs assessment OEL Video vignettes OEL, UF Parent/provider focus groups OEL, Contractor Mobile app design UF Inventory and translation of resources OEL, Contractor Screening & Child Assessment Data OEL Parent Portal Upgrades OEL Expand Parent Portal to include outside programs OEL Explore capacity to share screening OEL, CF Single Point of Entry Feasibility Study OEL, Contractor Statewide Capacity Building on Equitable Access OEL, Contractor SHARING BEST PRACTICES Early Learning Florida Resource Library OEL, UF Build out Early Learning Florida Platform OEL, UF Develop resource library of best practices OEL, UF ELPFP Cumulative Impact Evaluation OEL, UF Child Assessment Implementation OEL Training on Child Assessment Implementation OEL, ELCs Informational Webinars on CA Best Practices OEL, ELCs Facilitated Communities of Practice on CA OEL, Consultant Provide technology supports for providers OEL, ELCs Regional Community of Practice Summits OEL, UF Regional best practice summits OEL, UF


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Facilitated online CoPs to share best practices OEL, UF Quality Improvement Alignment Task Force OEL Align PD with early learning standards OEL, Consultant Designations OEL, Consultant Articulation agreements OEL, Higher Ed, Alignment of credentials with wage supports OEL, Higher Ed, Contractor Automated Quality Improvement tools OEL/UF Develop coaching/mentoring standards of practice OEL/UF Develop automated coaching tools OEL/UF Build coaching capacity OEL/UF Transition to Kindergarten OEL Regional summits OEL Enhance website OEL Create online platform to support online communities to share best practices

OEL/UF

Early Literacy Training OEL Identification (and procurement) of training OEL Conduct affiliate-trainer training OEL Mental Health Specialist/Supervisor Training OEL/FAIMH/FSU Coordinated Monitoring System Workgroup OEL/DCF/ELCs Workgroup meetings OEL/DCF/ELCs Develop TA standards and protocols OEL/DCF/ELCs Strategies for monitoring feedback loops OEL/DCF/ELCs Training on standards and protocols OEL/DCF/ELCs QUALITY IMPROVEMENT ECENA Expansion OEL, UF Unduplicated number children across programs OEL, UF Cost modeling tool integration OEL, UF


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Professional Development Tools and Resources OEL,UF Core Competency Revision/Alignment OEL, Higher Ed ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY Quarterly SAC Meetings OEL, SAC Monthly Core Team meetings OEL Partner/stakeholder progress updates OEL Contract deliverables – Scope management OEL EVALUATION Procurement of Evaluator OEL Current Practice Analysis (Needs & Resources) Consultant/Contractor Refine Logic Model Consultant/Contractor Quantitative/Qualitative Analysis Consultant/Contractor Final Performance Evaluation Report Consultant/Contractor

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